Genre: Drama, Romance, Dark Comedy
Directed by: Kristoffer Borgli
Starring: Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Alana Haim
Release Date: April 3, 2026
Platform: Theatrical
Star Rating: 4/5
By Crystal Justine
“A film that leaves you perpetually sinking in your seat.”
Finally, a movie where the trailer gives nothing away, leaving the audience guessing as to what they’re actually walking into, and no one would ever guess what drama THE DRAMA has in store. A24’s newest release, starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, is a film that leaves you perpetually sinking in your seat. It grabs and yanks at your emotions, but in unexpected ways that will leave you wondering what the f*ck you just watched.
Written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli, the film is akin to his past work Dream Scenario, in the sense that it has numerous lines of commentary riddled throughout. Some commentary is right in your face the moment you hear certain words uttered, while other themes are more thought-provoking and interwoven into the storyline. The story dives deep and only gives the audience brief moments of opposite emotion to come up for air and breathe.
The cast in this film is phenomenal, as expected. Zendaya does a remarkable job of making Emma feel like a real and complex character. She is increasingly getting better at her craft, and this role is another notch in her filmography to be proud of, and only project one of five coming out in 2026.
Robert Pattinson has come a long way since playing Cedric Diggory (Harry Potter) and Edward Cullen (Twilight). Being part of iconic IPs so early in a career typically leads to being typecast or pushed out of the industry altogether. Pattinson has made it known he’s far outgrown his teenage heartthrob status by taking on a plethora of different projects, and his role as Charlie in THE DRAMA shows the true depth of his range. In this role, he juggles multiple opposing character traits and feelings, which can be hard to pull off, but he does it masterfully.
The film’s stars weren’t the only ones giving exceptional performances. Mamoudou Athie holds his own playing Charlie’s best mate, Mike. Athie brings the grounded presence the story needs, giving balance to the unexpected turns this film takes. The real standout performance is from Alana Haim, who delivers something you won’t be able to forget as Emma’s maid of honor, Rachel. Haim makes the audience feel every scene she’s in from penetrating looks she gives to a speech that will have you on the edge of your seat. She may not have a huge catalog of performances quite yet, but based on this performance, that’s about to change.
THE DRAMA is a hard film to review without spoilers. The crux of the film lies in what the drama actually is, but knowing that going in would diminish the impact. This movie is best experienced completely blind. And don’t worry, if you’ve seen the trailers, the marketing department for A24 did a phenomenal job at making sure it does not give anything away. All that’s needed to be known going in is that Zendaya and Pattinson play a couple about to get married…but something feels off. Just watch it unfold and let it hit you in real time.
Spoiler filled review coming soon!
