The Drama (2026)

Kristopher Borgli's recent back catalogue has been full to the brim with ideas. Razor sharp satire Sick of Myself (2022) focused on the lengths people will go to for attention in the modern world, while 2023's Dream Scenario gave us the entrancing idea of a man who suddenly starts appearing in people's dreams. The Drama, starring Robert Pattinson and Zendaya, continues his trend of biting satire albeit with a very relatable twist. Pattinson and Zendaya are Charlie and Emma, a couple on the eve of their wedding. They're getting all the last minute details together with family flying in very shortly for the big day while they still try to perfect their dance moves in a class that Emma is getting slowly frustrated with. One last minute hiccup occurs when they spot their wedding DJ apparently smoking heroin on a street corner on their walk back from a dance rehearsal. Emma is appalled, Charlie is nonplussed; he seems happy to go along with any decision Emma makes. If you've seen the trailer however, you know this is not par for the course. The film begins with Charlie working on his speech, aided by his best man Mike (Mamoudou Athie) and we witness flashbacks to how they met (a predictably awkward coffee encounter with Charlie not knowing Emma is deaf in one ear) and how their love blossomed. All seems to be going to plan until they go to dinner with Mike and maid of honour Rachel (Alana Haim), drink too much, and decide to play a game that involves each person admitting to the worst thing they've ever done. We know from the trailer that something puts a spanner the size of bus in the wedding works, and here it is. The Drama is excruciating whilst being thoroughly entertaining, frequently funny, and utterly ridiculous. Borgli knows exactly what he's doing, and it's no surprise whatsoever to find Ari Aster's name attached as a producer. It also asks some increasingly interesting and pertinent questions, not least the obvious one of how well can you ever fully know someone? But Borgli takes this rather simple question and ramps it up to eleven, doubling down on everything he throws at you almost forcing you into submitting to the film's glorious madness. Is it a satire or is it a thriller? Or is it simply as its title suggests? There's even an argument to be made that it's none of the above, and actually an accurately judged political comment- as one character asks after the 'reveal' "Oh so it's America's fault is it?" Personally I think if you dig too much into this you can find whatever you want. The Drama is a very well made, well written and intelligent farce which throws up some really interesting questions and themes. Pattinson is superb, his awkward and increasingly desperate Charlie runs from appointment to appointment with his hair and glasses becoming ever more askew as the film hurtles to its slightly inert yet almost inevitable ending. Zendaya is good too, although her rapid rise to one of Hollywood's biggest names is slightly baffling- I'd like to see her with a performance that truly matches her aura. Once again, it's Alana Haim who nearly steals the film from everyone around her despite minimal screentime. Her shock at the initial revelation is backed up for the rest of The Drama, and her final scenes are a culmination of someone who has truly been torn up by everything, yet the hysteria also works on the level of an absurdist black comedy. It's a brilliant performance. Ultimately The Drama matches the sum of its parts, which is impressive but also hints at a ceiling which the story gives itself. There's only so far you can take this while retaining the intrigue and while Borgli does this admirably, the ending is a dud note. Not because it doesn't make sense; with everything that unfurls before it, the finishing touch actually works- but paradoxically it means that people will walk out of the cinema laughing at what they've seen, and perhaps not actually having the conversations that relationships really need. It's a blast, and the serious questions it brings up are hugely important. But they're wrapped in a coat of lunacy that threatens to derail audiences interpretations, especially if you're a naval gazing narcissist. 7.6/10