Title: The Drama
MPA Rating: R
Director: Kristoffer Borgli
Starring: Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Alana Haim
Runtime: 1 hr 45 mins

What It Is: Charlie (Pattinson) meets Emma (Zendaya) in what one might consider a meet cute. Now three years on the two are ready for the next step in their relationship, marriage. As they prepare it all, the loving couple get together with their friends Rachel (Haim) and Mike (Mamoudou Athie) for a pre-wedding brunch. They need to decide what to eat at the reception. During this dinner a truth no one knew about Emma comes out and changes the dynamics of their relationship not only with Mike and Rachel but with one another. This event from Emma’s childhood is something everyone finds hard to navigate.

What We Think: What a mess. What a terrible, edgelord adjacent mess. Borgli’s previous film, Dream Scenario, was one of the coolest concepts I’d seen in some time. Here the twist Borgli is going for just does not work. The whole thing makes everyone an unlikable piece of human garbage. To top this off Alana Haim is terrible in this. Rachel as a character goes from 0 to 60 almost instantly and loses all sense of logic when speaking to Emma. Haim’s performance is also just so dumb. Pattinson is such a worthless character and that’s a shame because he and Zendaya are really trying to make this shit concept work. Man this is such a disappointment. Especially given the talent from front to back involved. Minus Haim…let’s put her in less movies and let her keep writing tunes with her sisters. She’s just not good.

Our Grade: D-, Man. A24 I am getting real tired of your inconsistent bullshit bro. They’ll go from making films that deserve awards consideration to nonsensical piles of weirdness. This sadly falls into the latter. It’s trying to be too laissez-faire with a topic that requires much more nuance. This doesn’t have it. I am never, and will never be a pearl clutcher, but I don’t really like edgy for the sake of it. I cannot and will not recommend this film. It’s just short of a total failure, but that isn’t from a lack of trying.