“What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?” and a bottle of wine shared between engaged and married couples only promises to ensue chaos. Kristoffer Borgli’s new film, “The Drama,” released on April 3, does exactly that. Starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson as a lovey-dovey engaged couple who share a house in Cambridge, MA, who have to navigate their relationship after that very question is answered.
The film starts with Emma (Zendaya) reading an obscure book in a cafe, to which Charlie (Pattinson) approaches her and compliments the book she’s reading, mentioning that she’s read it. With her lack of response to his talking to her, Charlie believed that she simply wasn’t interested; instead, it’s revealed that Emma is deaf in her right ear. How she became deaf is unknown at the start of the movie, but it prompts audiences to wonder whether it will be revealed later.
This classic cafe meet-cute only inspires the film to seem romantic and lighthearted, as the couple becomes infatuated with each other almost immediately, although starting on a lying basis, as Charlie hasn’t actually read the book she was reading. Soon enough, Emma and Charlie move in together and eventually begin planning their perfect wedding.
One night, as their wedding date is approaching, they witness their wedding DJ smoking heroin on the street. Unsure of what to do, or if they should fire her, the couple asks their married friends, Rachael and Mike, at a wine tasting for their wedding. Everyone but Emma seems positive they should fire her, but Emma seems strangely resistant to the idea, mentioning that everyone has done things they are ashamed of. This lack of admitting that what the DJ did was wrong only foreshadows Emma’s secret.
The film sets up the inevitable question that is begged in the trailer, with the answer previously remaining a secret: “What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?” Everyone around the table shares theirs; their answers range from Rachael exposing that she locked a child in a closet, leading to a police search, and running away, Mike using someone as a human shield against a rabid dog, and Charlie, cyberbullying — until it’s Emma’s turn.
At last, it’s Emma’s turn: she reveals that at 15, she planned a school shooting. Although she didn’t go through with it, it was extremely shocking, as with the previously light-hearted tone, it didn’t seem expected that she would say something so drastic. The fact that she didn’t go through with it only makes it more complex, as it continues to show that she even merely thought about it. At first, Charlie thinks she’s joking, but Rachael and Mike quickly grasp the weight of the situation and leave both Emma and Charlie.
While what Emma did was truly horrific and unforgivable to some, Rachel’s secret only shows the hypocrisy of her hatred towards Emma, as Emma had planned to hurt someone, when Rachael actually did.
This secret, which Emma had been keeping for years, sets the stage for a battle of morals: does Charlie leave her because of what she’s done, or accept her for her past faults? The film continues as Charlie navigates whether he should call off the wedding, and constantly includes out-of-pocket situations in their life in which gun violence is brought up, resulting in Charlie spinning out of control, not knowing who to turn to.
As the days turn into hours until their wedding, Charlie’s once sweet and loving speech turns to barely being able to look at Emma, and the couple lacks the confidence to break up with each other. Their wedding begins, and chaos only follows it; with Emma’s father giving his father-of-the-bride speech, discussing her past advocacy for anti-gun violence (ironic), Rachel’s condensed maid-of-honor speech, and Emma’s discovery that Charlie had cheated on her a few days prior.
On one hand, the movie seems like the name, “The Drama,” makes sense, as their lives begin to unravel along with their love for each other, but it also at times seems like it’s only simply poking at the larger issue at hand. The film lacks depth and character building, and at times, it feels like viewers aren’t sure who or what exactly they should be rooting for.
The film feels like eavesdropping on a conversation that you shouldn’t have been listening to, and later retelling it to others — almost like a “What would you do?” episode with John Quiñones waiting to happen. The raising of the question of true unconditional love for your partner, and how far you would go to keep it.
Almost inviting that classic rom-com audience, the film only intentionally shocks its viewers with quite the opposite, only catalyzing the conversation you will have with others who have seen the movie. By possibly tricking audiences into watching the film, it raises questions surrounding devotion to one’s partner and “Til death do us part” kind of ideologies.
