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Editor’s note: This article includes mention of violence involving mass shootings.

In sickness and in health. For better or for worse. But what happens when the worst comes before the vows?

Kristoffer Borgli’s newest dark comedy, “The Drama,” asks its protagonists to ponder the worst thing they’ve ever done. The A24 film is similar to Borgli’s previous films, like “Dream Scenario,” posing moral dilemmas in absurd, real-life scenarios. It’s a chaotic trip of emotions, revelations and confrontations that kept my eyes glued to the screen.

A week before the wedding of Emma (Zendaya) and Charlie (Robert Pattinson), the happily engaged couple sees their wedding DJ doing heroin on the side of the street. The pair are shocked, and their discovery stirs a dinner conversation with their friends, Rachel (Alana Haim) and Mike (Mamoudou Athie).

While it’s a seemingly small incident, it establishes the film’s entire ethical predicament. As the two couples debate whether or not they should fire the DJ, Emma is the only one to approach the situation with empathy. She argues against firing the DJ, saying they don’t know what she is going through.

This deliberation probes Rachel to demand the group reveal their deepest darkest secrets. We learn that Mike used an ex-girlfriend as a human shield against an attacking dog, Charlie cyberbullied a classmate and Rachel locked a child with disabilities in a closet in the woods. A tipsy Emma goes last, revealing she planned a school shooting at 15.

Emma’s disclosure is shocking and much darker than her peers. Though the conversation was a result of her pressuring, Rachel has the most dramatic response to Emma’s confession. It’s an agonizing scene, as the table goes silent, and Rachel throws furious, hostile remarks toward Emma.

This one conversation was an intriguing way to develop these characters, revealing how different their principles are. All three laughed and brushed off their own actions, but when it’s Emma’s turn, nothing’s funny. Through Rachel’s reaction, the film shows how people use others’ actions as moral markers rather than taking accountability for their own. People like Rachel think to themselves, “I’m not as bad as her,” rather than understanding why people do certain things.

For the remainder of the film, we’re witnesses to Charlie’s paranoia as Emma desperately explains herself. When asked what prompted her to plan such a thing, Emma tells Charlie she was a depressed teenager obsessed with the “aesthetics” of it all.

Through flashbacks to a younger Emma, we learn that her dad was in the military, and she was often left home alone. We see her try to film a manifesto and practice shooting a rifle — it’s all rather disturbing. Eventually, a flashback reveals that the reason Emma didn’t go through with her plan was because a classmate was killed in another public shooting. From there, Emma turns to gun reform activism.

Working around a fundamentally morbid topic, the film has stirred divisive conversations among critics and on social media. Personally, I’m someone who enjoys provocative media, and the film’s approach reads as a satirical spin on a topic many have become desensitized to.

Though I risk sounding macabre to those who haven’t seen the film, “The Drama” is ridiculously funny. Zendaya’s quiet vulnerability alongside Pattinson’s crazed demeanor creates tense, awkward moments you can’t help but laugh at. With two of arguably Hollywood’s biggest stars, this casting couldn’t have gone wrong.

Zendaya is a powerhouse of an actress in her other projects, often commanding the script. But “The Drama” spends more time digging into Charlie’s panic than examining Emma’s character. Still, Borgli’s writing ignores one glaring detail: Emma’s position in the story as a Black woman.

Charlie and Rachel’s perceptions of Emma alter drastically once they view her as potentially violent. This ignites a larger, more complicated conversation about the lack of grace society lends Black women that Borgli doesn’t fully engage with.

Why were the others’ crimes seen as products of adolescent immaturity, but Emma’s was a flaw of her character? These are questions the film raises, and Borgli could’ve dug deeper into why Emma was perceived the way she was. I can’t help but wonder if it’s an oversight or an intentional thematic choice.

What’s slightly lacking in story depth is made up for by masterful editing and sound design that immerses you in the film. Jolty cuts and overlapping sounds put you in the headspace of all the characters — it’s like a bad dream you can’t wake up from.

There’s no doubt every character in “The Drama” is flawed. Its nuanced performances and clever script make for a wildly engaging film that examines hypocrisy, morality and the extent of one’s ability to grow and change.

“The Drama” sticks you straight into a situation you want to run far away from. For 106 minutes, the film forces you to sit in it. By the time the credits roll — if you’re not completely turned off from the film — you’re left scoffing, but hopefully pondering your own moral compass and the extent of your forgiveness.

Published on April 7, 2026 at 9:26 pm
Contact Claire: cmzhang@syr.edu