The Drama is another great movie by Kristoffer Borgli. As is Borgli’s specialty, he takes a situation that seems normal, slowly making it uncomfortable, drawing you in without losing you. The film stars Robert Pattinson and Zendaya as Charlie and Emma, a couple getting ready for their wedding. After a conversation with friends takes a turn and something very uncomfortable is revealed, their relationship begins to fall apart. Mamoudou Athie and Alana Haim play Mike and Rachel, a couple, and close friends of Emma and Charlie who are serving as the best man and maid of honour. They are the catalyst of what sets the story in motion, and you can see the chemistry between these four actors feels natural and clearly comes through on the screen.
That’s exactly where the film lives. It’s not just about the revelation but the fallout from it and what it does to a close-knit group of people. Everything fractures when we realize that not everyone is on the same page morally. Borgli’s observation is that people are comfortable talking about forgiveness in theory but don’t feel comfortable when they have to practice it.
Borgli’s previous film Dream Scenario tackled cancel culture and the perils of sudden fame, although this film takes a more subdued approach and operates on a smaller scale. It can be read as a metaphor for the way public figures are viewed when disturbing truths about them come to life. Where that film was more outward and absurd, this film is more focused on the idea of what it means to come back from a transgression in a personal relationship and whether it’s even possible.
Like Dream Scenario and his 2022 debut film Sick of Myself, Borgli has created another dark comedy, one that will probably work if you can laugh at things that normally would feel wrong to laugh at. One scene in particular involving a webcam spirals into unexpected humour, especially given how dark the actual content of the scene is.
It is an observational film, making the audience feel like they’re a fly on the wall, as the characters process thoughts in real time and cannot seem to find the right response. Borgli times the scenes so that you are uncomfortable, but the film itself never drags. This approach matters because the film is not so much interested in the content of what the characters say but in the reactions of those around them, especially when they are forced into situations they can’t easily explain.
Daniel Pemberton’s score plays a big role in establishing that feeling. There are many scenes without any music at all, and you can see how incredibly awkward and uneasy the situation is with these characters. That in itself is a sign of how the writing and performances support the material. However, Borgli realizes that the score’s job is to heighten the feeling and make you feel just as uneasy. Pemberton’s score relies heavily on three flutes, recorded in a single day, to create sharp, abrasive woodwind textures that deliberately unsettle the viewer and intensify the film’s discomfort.
One small early moment also really sums up the film well. Charlie whispers to Emma as they attempt to test whether she can hear anything in her deaf ear. He talks about how much he loves her and wants to be with her, but clearly she can’t hear anything. A clear metaphor about how even when people try to reach each other, things get lost in communication, and it repeats as the film goes on.
The performances in particular are excellent. This is an unusual performance by Pattinson in that this may be the most normal character he’s ended up playing on film. This is also one of the few times I’ve seen him use his natural accent, which is a rarity for him. Zendaya, on the other hand, has generally been cast in more realistic characters like Emma, take for example her performance as Tashi in Challengers, so this is her natural wheelhouse, and she doesn’t miss it. The task for both of these actors is to sell the internal nature of it all. Even in dialogue-heavy scenes like the wedding, you can tell the characters are not saying what they really mean, and you see more in expression than in words.
The audience reaction matched that tone. There were laughs, but also moments where you could hear gasps and awkward silence as things unfolded, which speaks to how effectively the film puts the viewer in an uncomfortable position.
The Drama overall is a film about relationships and truth. Most people, even those who are married or about to be married, do not truly know the person they want to spend their life with, suggesting that perhaps the secrets people keep are truths better left unknown. The question Borgli is asking is, “At what point does it stop being about what happens?” and become, “Can you live with it?”
For me, this is the film in a nutshell: at what point does something become too much to move past? Are people actually capable of forgiveness once they know it, or do we just like to believe that we are? To cut to the chase: what is your boundary?
Watch the trailer right here
All images via A24.
Directed by Kristoffer Borgli
Screenplay by Kristoffer Borgli
Produced by Lars Knudsen, Tyler Campellone, Ari Aster
Starring Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Alana Haim, Mamoudou Athie
Premiere Date: March 17, 2026
Running Time: 105 minutes
Cinema from the Spectrum 
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