**Spoilers Ahead**
While many Hollywood rom-com films aim for an idealized, almost methodical portrayal of love and relationships with clear emotional beats for the audience, Kirstoffer Borgli’s “The Drama” seems far less interested in that. Rather, it is more invested in exploring the complexities that lie in the discrepancy between the idea and the reality of the partner when a secret unravels.
Days prior to their wedding ceremony, Emma (Zendaya) reveals to Charlie (Robert Pattinson) that she almost attempted a school shooting when she was in high school. This leaves Charlie uncertain about his perception of Emma and whether or not he should even carry on with the marriage.
The film doesn’t try to argue that Emma’s attempt was justified. This is very evident in how absurdly young Emma’s logic and actions are portrayed. However, the film also seems to treat the idea of morality and judgement as performative in nature, using Rachel (Alana Haim) who locked a kid up in a closet in the past as someone claiming to be morally superior. Furthermore, despite Charlie positioning himself as morally superior in his dynamic with Emma throughout the film, he makes unethical decisions as well, namely when he attempts to engage in sexual intercourse with a coworker.
Ultimately the film carries a humanistic angle on relationships as it posits that it is an authentic connection between the partners while accepting their shortcomings which make a relationship work. This is best illustrated when after all the secrets have been revealed and the wedding has gone horribly wrong, they choose to start over in their relationship.
The film takes the strengths that Borgli showed in “Dream Scenario” and expands upon it while addressing some of the weaknesses. Beyond the obvious similarities that both films are very striking in their clever premises, they also share an unsettling atmospheric quality in the sense that something is off. While in “Dream Scenario” this comes directly from the protagonist in addition to the surreality, “The Drama” uses uncomfortable dialogues and ironic humor to achieve it.
Some of the film’s most memorable scenes invoke Ruben Östlund films such as “Force Majeure” as the audience nearly gets second-hand embarrassment from the unbearably awkward moments throughout the film. One critique of his previous film was that it loses itself and becomes a social critique lacking in depth. Borgli successfully resists this in his latest film despite the premise having heavy societal implications.
It is not very clear, however, if the film’s arguments can stand under close scrutiny. The film at times seems to use the fact that Emma never really killed anyone as a kind of a shield for its ideology and does not really take the risk of testing it out under more severe circumstances. For a film that obviously wants to make the audience uncomfortable, it ends up feeling too safe.
Verdict: “The Drama” is Kristoffer Borgli’s vision at its best. It is morally provocative and awkwardly funny in its attempt at capturing the messiness of a romantic relationship.
