“Wow, it must be really good, it has 87% percent rotten tomatoes,” my friend says, staring down at the white, glowing screen on her phone.
With popcorn in one hand and a Diet Coke in the other, I sat down in the red, cushiony chair at the AMC movie theater, eager to watch a movie that got lots of approval — “The Drama.”
“The Drama” — a dark comedy — shows a romantic relationship that gradually unfolds into chaos, using humor throughout the movie to balance the darker aspects of the film.
Overall, the engaging plot, funny characters and final twist “The Drama” 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. I can surely say the film lived up to its name.
The plot follows Charlie and Emma, played by Robert Pattinson and Zendaya, an engaged couple preparing for their upcoming wedding, until their relationship is shaken when a disturbing secret from Emma’s past is revealed.
Charlie starts having doubts about marrying Emma while she reassures him, trying to earn back his trust. Together, they navigate their relationship and try to stay at peace by ignoring the past.
What truly stood out to me was how deeply captivating the film was from beginning to end.
The constant tension throughout the film made it so intriguing. Every scene introduced something unexpected, whether it was a sudden shift in a character's behavior or a moment that completely flipped the audience's expectations, keeping my eyes locked on the screen the whole time.
For example, Charlie and Emma go wine tasting with Rachel and Mike who are in a married relationship—played by Alana Haim and Mamoudou Athie. Emma's mood changes from relaxed to tense and on edge, when Rachel asks her a question concerning her childhood was very mysterious and kept my eyes locked on the screen.
Across the theater, I could hear the audience laugh at funny moments. Ripples of shocked gasps and confused murmurs spread through the crowd as everyone waited to see what would happen next.
Although the plot line for this story felt dark and a little unsettling at times, the humorous remarks made this story feel lighter and watchable.
For instance, when the couple gets into a heated argument, bits of subtle jokes and awkward humor in between soften the strain and keep the scene from feeling too heavy.
The jokes didn’t take away the uncanniness of the story, however. Instead,they made it easier to watch and sit through the tension.
Even though I could call every scene in the movie my favorite, one that stood out more than the rest was the opening scene.
The film starts showing Emma and Charlie’s first time meeting at a local coffee shop.
Charlie — spotting Emma from afar, nervously works up the courage to go up and talk to her, but ends up embarrassed when she accidentally ignores him. Sitting back down, disappointed, Charlie later sees that Emma has AirPods in and simply couldn't hear him trying to talk to her.
I enjoyed this scene because the script was genuinely funny, and the acting felt natural—something that’s hard to achieve and missing from most films.
The movie beginning showing the first time they met was a smart way to start off the movie, as it was interesting and held my attention, for its unexpectedly hilarious yet cute aspect that also shows the progression of their relationship naturally.
It also allowed the audience to learn about the couple’s relationship, giving it a smooth way to easily jump into the plot of where they are at now.
This structure made the story feel more interesting. I thought it was a creative way to allow the audience to perceive the couple's connection as “perfect” at first, but then later see how those moments slowly fell out of place — leading their relationship downhill.
Pattinson and Zendaya did a wonderful job of displaying Charlie and Emma's characters throughout the story. It felt real, not just like actors acting.
Zendaya delivers an especially strong performance in the scene where Emma casually reveals her secret, quickly shifting from calm to visibly shaken as her friends react, capturing a sudden sense of fear and regret.
In serious moments, they showed real emotion and vulnerability, and in more funny scenes, their sarcasm or humor showed their strength as actors and their commitment to the role.
It was clear that “The Drama” wasn’t just about secrets or relationships, but about how people choose to confront — or avoid — the truth.
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