A happily engaged couple get put to the test when an unexpected revelation sends their wedding week off the rails.
Director: Kristoffer Borgli
Cast: Zendaya, Robert Pattinson. Mamoudou Athie, Alana Haim
Release Date: April 3, 2026
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
R by the MPA for sexual content, language, and some violence, featuring disturbing thematic material, intense bullying flashbacks, suicide threats, and implicit sexual scenes.
Runtime: 1h 46m
Review:
Kristoffer Borgli’s The Drama is a messy, slow motion car crash of a relationship dramady that’s just as funny as it is cringe inducing thanks to fully committed performances from its cast, led by stellar turns from Robert Pattinson and Zendaya. Borgli’s film has a similar vibe to his last film, Dream Scenario, where it feels grounded for large portion of the proceedings feels grounded and relatable before taking more and more flights of fancy that give us insights into the character’s rather complicated mental gymnastics once the central premise is revealed. There’s plenty of thematic meat on the bone to dissect as a series of ideas are thrown at the wall that range from political level to more personal relationship level. It’s definitely the type of film that’s going to illicit different reactions from different people for a multitude of reasons by design. There’s a fascinating balancing act on display as we follow the central couple’s journey to the altar as the audience follows along on their journey of discovery. Giving away too much about the story’s plot and its effect on the characters feels like a disservice since I’d say it’s better to go in fresh and take the journey along with the characters. Robert Pattinson and Zendaya deliver excellent turns as the central couple with the pair going through an endless series of emotions as they grapple with the fact that the people they thought they were was more of a façade than unfiltered truth. Pattinson’s character is a goofy and nebbish, but you get the sense that he and Zendaya’s character have a real connection together. They both have natural chemistry together with both losing themselves fully into the roles especially as things spiral increasingly out of control. They’re both in fine form throughout with no easy answers provided by the time it’s all said and done which might be frustrating, but it does feel truer to life. Pattinson and Zendaya carry the lion’s share of the load here but Mamoudou Athie and Alana Haim, who’s bitchiness level is set to 11 throughout, make the most of their screen time. The Drama is the kind of film that will definitely spark conversations once the final credits roll and although all the concepts don’t gel as well as they should it’s still one of the more fascinating films of the year.
A-
