(SPOILER ALERT: This post discusses key plot points.)
A24’s The Drama, directed by Norwegian filmmaker Kristoffer Borgli and starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, arrives with one of the year’s most talked-about twists. . But while the film’s performances are electric, the twist itself may leave audiences divided.
Ever since the trailer dropped months ago, I was dying to see this film.
The story centers on Charlie (Robert Pattinson) and Emma (Zendaya), an engaged Boston couple who seem blissfully in love. While attending a food-and-wine tasting for their impending nuptials with Charlie’s best friend and Emma’s maid of honor, the group plays a simple game:
What is the worst thing you have ever done?
From the trailer we already know Emma’s confession is really bad.
Engagement-ending bad!
Naturally, the internet became obsessed with one question:
What Did Emma Confess to Doing in The Drama?
Had she murdered someone?
Had she had an affair with someone underage?
(The film’s writer/director, Kristoffer Borgli, reportedly did.)
The mystery surrounding Emma’s confession became the film’s biggest hook.
Unfortunately, once the answer is revealed, the movie begins to fall apart.
The Twist in The Drama Doesn’t Land
Emma eventually reveals that as a teenager she thought about doing something deplorable.
But here’s the problem.
Rachel—the maid of honor—actually did something deplorable.
In one of the film’s most shocking moments, Rachel casually recounts how she locked a mentally disabled boy in the woods for an entire night and said nothing while people were searching for him.
The way Rachel delivers the story—completely flippant—landed far worse with my audience than Emma’s confession.
Rachel’s confession is far more disturbing than Emma’s—and it quietly breaks the film’s central tension.
By comparison, Emma’s revelation suddenly feels less shocking, which undermines the dramatic weight the movie is trying to build.
Zendaya’s Emma Feels Like She Wasn’t Originally Written as a Black Character
Another issue became clear during the post-movie bathroom chatter.
Every Black and Hispanic woman I heard talking about the film said the same thing:
“That would never be me.”
Once the secrets are revealed, the rest of the movie almost plays like a cautionary tale for Black and Brown women about spotting the Karens hiding in plain sight inside our friend circles.
Rachel’s reaction to Emma’s secret—and her behavior toward Emma at the wedding—is wildly over the top.
Many women of color I spoke with afterward agreed there is no universe where Rachel would still be invited to the wedding, let alone remain the maid of honor.
Rachel’s clearly jealous of Emma.
And the movie actually telegraphs this early.
In their first scene together, Rachel snarkily tells Emma she “looks ugly when she cries.”That moment alone would have been enough for most women of color to cut Rachel loose immediately.
The Young Zendaya Casting Choice Raises Questions
One casting decision also felt noticeably off.
The teenage version of Emma is played by Jordyn Curet, a darker-skinned actress, while adult Emma is biracial, very light-skinned Zendaya. Their features are in no way alike and Jordyn is far shorter than Zendaya.
That simply doesn’t track visually. Are all black women supposed to look alike and be interchangeable?
Black people don’t get lighter as we grow up, and the choice unintentionally creates a troubling underlying implication.
The darker-skinned Emma is portrayed as a disturbed, potential school shooter.
The lighter-skinned Emma grows up to become a lovely, fashionable dream girl.
Even if unintentional, that visual coding carries uncomfortable racial undertones.
Zendaya and Robert Pattinson’s Chemistry Saves the Film
Despite these issues, I still thoroughly enjoyed this pitch-black comedy disguised as a modern rom-com.
Zendaya and Robert Pattinson’s chemistry is the film’s greatest strength with both actors delivering career-best performances and carrying scenes that might otherwise collapse under the weight of the twist.
For me, Charlie and Emma instantly joined the ranks of unforgettable Hollywood couples and the audience roots for them. Pattinson is especially strong as Charlie struggles to reconcile the disturbing things he’s learned about Emma’s past with the woman he loves now.
The pain and regret that both Zendaya and Pattison display as they navigate the consequences of a secret revealed is heartbreakingly believable.
Zendaya’s face at the table as the wedding falls apart will be burned into my memory forever.
The School Shooting Plotline Is Uncomfortable—But Real
As someone who has lost two cousins to gun violence, the scenes involving Emma’s teenage plan for a school shooting were difficult for me to watch.
My audience laughed loudly in those moments.
I didn’t.
I understand why families affected by Columbine were triggered by turning something like that into dark comedy.
But the film also reflects a grim reality.
America is a country built on a deep foundation of violence and gun culture. We have failed to adequately address bullying, isolation, and mental trauma—or to limit gun access for troubled kids.
In that sense, The Drama touches on something important.
The uncomfortable truth is that many kids likely think about acts of violence during moments of extreme pain or isolation.
Thankfully, most of them never act on those thoughts.
Final Verdict: Is The Drama Worth Watching?
⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (3/5)
The Drama is a fascinating pitch-black rom-com anchored by two terrific performances from Zendaya and Robert Pattinson.
The film asks an uncomfortable question: Should someone’s darkest thoughts define them forever?
It doesn’t completely land its twist.
But thanks to its two stars, the emotional journey remains compelling.
What Did You Think?
What did you think of The Drama’s twist?
Did Emma’s confession live up to the hype—or did it weaken the film? Leave a comment.
