Everyone loves a classic rom-com with a coffee shop meet-cute, romantic montages of their relationship’s growth over the years, and a cherry-on-top perfect ending after a potential relationship-ending twist. The Drama, advertised as this type of movie, ended up having a very dark twist on the classic plot.
The movie starts quietly and simply, with loud and witty Emma (Zendaya) and nervously fragile Charlie (Robert Pattinson), a newly-engaged couple, nervously trying to write their wedding vows. All wedding planning seems to be going according to plan, until a drunken night with two friends, where they all share the worst things they have ever done before getting married. While the friends laugh along at each other’s funny mistakes, Emma’s secret seems to be completely unforgivable, especially in the eyes of her new fiancé, Charlie.
From then on, the tension in the movie was palpable, as Charlie navigated his feelings while trying to get past this terrible thing that Emma did.
I thought the tension and music choice in the film created stress, as I couldn’t keep my eyes off the screen, especially when the wedding still took place, as we see in the trailer.
The movie was a strong and unexpected PSA towards an extremely relevant and serious issue in the United States, and scared me into watching more of what could be some people’s reality. I thought that the detail of Charlie being British and unable to come to terms with Emma’s secret was the perfect touch because what Emma did was most likely one hundred times worse in his eyes because his culture has not been as exposed to the issue as we have in America.
The acting in this movie was strong and intense, with Pattinson’s character slowly descending into madness, and Zendaya’s worried sick that she’s a horrible human being from his point of view.
It was also oddly comical, with a dark twist that had the room laughing between the couple’s awkward, funny moments. Both of their performances had the entire theater captivated, and I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen.
If you’re looking for a dark comedy with shock value, I highly recommend watching The Drama in theaters this spring.
