Norwegian director Kristoffer Borgli’s controversial rom-com thriller The Drama starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson
Consensus Summary
The Drama is a Norwegian-American film directed by Kristoffer Borgli that blends romantic comedy with dark psychological thriller elements, starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson as a couple whose relationship collapses after Emma reveals a shocking secret from her teenage years. The film centers on a ‘worst thing you’ve ever done’ game at a wedding reception, where Emma admits she once planned a school shooting but never carried it out, with her partial deafness later revealed to be caused by mishandling an assault rifle. Both sources agree on the film’s provocative premise, its April 2 release date, and the central secret involving Emma’s violent past, though they differ in tone and interpretation. ABC frames the film as a layered critique of millennial culture and personal branding, while The Guardian emphasizes its satirical take on American bourgeois life and psychological unraveling. The endings of the film are described differently, with ABC calling it ‘oddly empathetic’ and The Guardian suggesting Borgli ‘loses his nerve,’ highlighting divergent critical perspectives on the film’s resolution.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- The film is titled *The Drama* and directed by Kristoffer Borgli
- Zendaya and Robert Pattinson star as Emma and Charlie, a couple whose relationship unravels due to a secret
- The film is distributed by A24 and released in cinemas on April 2
- Emma’s secret involves a teenage incident with an assault rifle and a failed mass shooting plan
- The film’s premise involves a ‘worst thing you’ve ever done’ game at a wedding reception
- Emma’s partial deafness is revealed to be caused by holding an assault rifle too close to her ear
- The film’s tone blends romantic comedy with dark psychological thriller elements
- The film’s release date is April 2024
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The film is described as a ‘rollercoaster emotional twists’ movie reminiscent of 80s/90s dramatic thrillers
- Borgli’s previous films include *Sick of Myself* (2023) and *Dream Scenario* (2023), with the latter being his English-language debut
- The film’s score is credited to Daniel Pemberton, with a ‘70s psycho-drama’ style
- The film’s ending is described as ‘unusually cheesy’ and ‘oddly empathetic’ by ABC
- The film’s satire targets millennial romance, the wedding industrial complex, and personal branding
- Emma’s secret is framed as a ‘loaded topic in US culture’ and ‘cultural worms’
- The film’s hallucinatory editing and Bergman poster in Emma and Charlie’s home are highlighted
- The film’s tone shifts from ‘jet-black comedy’ to ‘vicious emotional warfare’
- The film’s cultural critique includes ‘unhealthy obsession with personal branding’ and ‘lack of empathy’
- The film’s ending is described as ‘up for discussion’ in terms of sincerity
- The film is compared to Ruben Östlund’s *Force Majeure* and Thomas Vinterberg’s *Festen* in tone
- Emma’s secret is revealed as a ‘rash revelation’ after a drunken game at a wedding dinner
- Emma’s partial deafness is caused by holding her father’s assault rifle too close to her ear while practicing
- Emma’s failed mass shooting plan was upstaged by a real shooting at a local mall killing a friend
- The film’s ending is described as ‘cheesy’ and where Borgli ‘loses his nerve’
- The film’s generic ambiguity is noted as satire or thriller, with Emma’s recovery as a key question
- The film’s style is described as ‘spiky, ingenious, tasteless’ and superior to Borgli’s *Sick of Myself*
- Emma’s secret is framed as a ‘psychological meltdown’ and ‘jeu d’ésprit of outrage’
- The film’s tone is described as ‘insouciantly offensive’
- The film’s flashback of Emma as a 14-year-old is played by Jordyn Curet
- The film’s critique of American bourgeois aspiration is emphasized as a Euro-satire
- The film’s ending is described as ‘reassuring’ in its explanation of Emma’s past
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- ABC describes the film’s ending as ‘unusually cheesy and oddly empathetic,’ while The Guardian says Borgli ‘loses his nerve’ and the ending is ‘cheesy’
- ABC frames Emma’s secret as a ‘loaded topic in US culture’ and ‘cultural worms,’ while The Guardian describes it as a ‘rash revelation’ and ‘exquisitely horrible’
- ABC emphasizes the film’s critique of ‘unhealthy obsession with personal branding,’ while The Guardian focuses on the film’s ‘Euro-satire of American bourgeois aspiration’
- ABC highlights the film’s ‘hallucinatory editing and 70s psycho-drama score,’ while The Guardian does not mention the score or editing style specifically
- ABC describes the film’s tone as shifting from ‘jet-black comedy to vicious emotional warfare,’ while The Guardian frames it as a ‘mashup of Hollywood marriage comedy and high-school shooting’
Source Articles
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