The delightful agony of ‘The Drama’

What is the appropriate response to learning a bone-chilling truth about your fiancée days before your wedding? That is the question at the center of “The Drama,” the new film staring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson that hit theaters last week. It may sound like a simple premise, but writer-director Kristoffer Borgli skillfully uses every second of the 105-minute runtime to entertainingly examine the ethical dilemma from all corners while really putting the screws to the main characters.

But the biggest surprise about “The Drama” isn’t the shocking character revelation at the core of the story — it’s the fact that under this psychological exploration of taboos and trust lies a romantic comedy, albeit a very dark one.

I’m not going to spoil the big revelation that comes at the cost of Zendaya’s character, Emma. That said, it isn’t some big twist that re-frames the movie; it’s revealed about 25 minutes in. There is value in going in blind and not knowing the secret, however. First off, there’s intrigue; it’s just more gripping to watch the movie knowing something will go wrong without knowing exactly what. Second: learning the secret at the same time as her fiance, Charlie (Pattinson), puts the viewer directly in his shoes, forcing audiences to grapple with the moral quandary in real-time.

The story follows Pattinson and Zendaya’s characters on the week leading up to their wedding. The backstory of their relationship is efficiently and amusingly relayed to the audience right away, in the form of Charlie and Emma preparing their wedding speeches. Charlie is quickly sketched as a kind and caring but somewhat spacey buffoon. Emma, similarly empathetic and kind, is contrasted as someone more keenly aware of their surroundings and their place in the world.

The film really lifts off when Charlie and Emma finalize their dining options over a meal with their maid of honor and best man (a married a couple, played by Alana Haim and Mamoudou Athie). After several glasses of wine, the maid of honor, Rachel, shares that she and her husband, Mike, revealed to each other “the worst thing they had each done in their life” shortly before their wedding, as a way of bonding.

Rachel and Mike share their secrets with the others — with the caveat that everyone will share their secret in turn (prompting Emma to nonchalantly down her entire wine glass). Charlie’s secret is ugly, but not uncommon. It’s Emma’s taboo revelation, however, that quiets the entire table. Charlie nervously tries to downplay the revelation, but Emma holds firm that her past indiscretion is every bit as disturbing as it sounds.

Everyone leaves the dinner changed, with a far different perspective on Emma. But how will that effect Charlie and his relationship with his soon-to-be bride? That fallout, in addition to how the revelation enrages Rachel, sets the story for the rest of the film.

As everything unravels, the film reaches a climax at the wedding reception — a standout sequence that incorporates high-stakes drama, cringe comedy and ties all the plot elements and character motivations together in a really satisfying way. While I appreciate the overall story resolution, the closing moments of the film were executed in a way that felt a bit cliche (perhaps hearkening back to the movie’s rom-com roots). But that remains my only knock on the picture.

The marketing suggests “The Drama” is an off-kilter psychological drama (in line with production company A24’s usual fare) possibly even leading into thriller territory. But that is not the case. Make no mistake, the subject matter of Emma’s secret is dead-serious, which makes it all the more impressive when Borgli is able to extract moments of pitch-black comedy from the responses surrounding Emma’s revelation.

In addition to making light of a torturous situation, the film deftly satirizes the chores of navigating the wedding-industrial complex and explores how we suss the true value of friendships.

But “The Drama” is ultimately about trust between a couple, and how it serves as a bridge over the murky waters that obscure the thoughts, feelings and experiences we don’t share with one another. The film challenges us viewers, who’ve walked that bridge, to consider just how much other people’s perspectives of our partner shape our own understanding of them.

“The Drama” is a very satisfying movie. It offers a ton of laughs (if you can stomach them), interesting performances, terrific ratcheting-up of tension and, of course, drama. It’s one of my favorite types of movies: those that not only share a thought-provoking dilemma, but beg you to digest the core question of the film and ask “what would I do?” For a lot of people, I suspect, there is no easy answer, and that will keep this film in your head for a long time.

I highly recommend seeing “The Drama” and avoiding spoilers at all costs. Those who enjoy the dark but often comedic films of Yorgo Lanthimos (“The Lobster,” “Bugonia,” “The Favourite”) or Martin McDonagh (“The Banshees of Inisherin,” “In Bruges”) are likely to find a pleasing balance of entertainment and provocation in “The Drama.”