The Drama
★★★★Worth watchingIs The Drama worth watching? (No spoilers)
An amazing film about love, marriage, and surprisingly, how America thinks about school shootings. It asks a really hard question about love, and refuses to give you a straight answer. Zendaya and Robert Pattinson are both phenomenal, and the ending is perfect. Everyone in the US should see this.
⚠️ Spoiler warning: everything below the quick take, including the full review and ending explained, contains spoilers.
The Drama review
The Drama is an amazing piece on both love, marriage, and surprisingly the psyche of America, in regards to both school shootings, and child innocence.
The question it poses about Zendaya's character is incredibly complex and difficult. How should we treat someone who almost was a school shooter at 14, now that they are nearly 30?
It's an extremely tough thing to think about, and the film does an amazing job of setting it up. Both in showing how most teenage mistakes are disregarded, being called foolish child's play, and asking if someone can be blamed for what they almost were?
Everyone will have their own thoughts, which I love. The film poses the question, and explores different answers, but does not try to force a single one.
As for the rest of the film, it had great legs. The introduction of showing their history through Robert's speech was spectacular, and introducing the drug addict, before the reveal about Zendaya, forced the audience to join in the dilemma at hand, and explore their own biases.
The main cast was great, especially the main two. Robert's cheating scandal was heartbreaking to watch, but somehow added so much to the narrative. The wedding itself was as spectacular as a shit show can be, and the ending was perfect.
Overall, an amazing film anyone living in the US should certainly see, and I would recommend to everyone.
The Drama ending explained
A few days before Emma and Charlie's wedding, friends trade stories about the worst thing they've ever done. Emma admits that at 15 she planned, and nearly carried out, a school shooting. With the wedding only days away, Charlie struggles to find the time to process this.
The wedding itself is a disaster. At the dinner, it comes out that Charlie nearly slept with a co-worker, and her boyfriend attacks him. Afterward, a bloodied Charlie goes looking for Emma and finds her at their favorite fast-food spot. Instead of talking it out, they introduce themselves to each other as if meeting for the first time, smiling through tears.
The ending is open, but it suggests they'll try to start over. Charlie's near moment of cheating seems to be forgiven as he finally forgives her for the childhood she had. The film never tells you whether that's the right choice. That question, whether someone can be blamed for what they almost became, is the point.
Does The Drama have a post-credits scene?
No. The Drama has no mid-credits or post-credits scene.
Movies like The Drama
- Marriage Story (2019) – a raw look at a couple coming apart
- Force Majeure (2014) – one moment that changes how a couple sees each other
- Dream Scenario (2023) – also from director Kristoffer Borgli
- We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011) – school violence and the people closest to it