The Drama

chmulcr0n
Review by
13 Oct 2026
Alright
47th percentile
67
This review contains spoilers
I wouldn't attest the movie as much depth as I see many people do. The movie isn't going for that. It's not trying to show the reality of anything. It's a farce. A fable. It's satirical and over the top. It's called "The Drama" for a reason. Drama happening seemed to be Borgli's biggest priority when writing it. That's part of the joke.
Characters tropily lean into certain aspects of themselves and conveniently forget to be a real person often, so that the plot can go in whatever farcical direction Borgli needs it to go in.
Which is the form, or language, you're using to make a point. I don't think the movie made that many points (at least not any that would hold up under any kind scrutiny) or that the point(s) it did make were that interesting. Or, at least not interesting enough to justify all that...drama. :)
But it's fun. Yes it's anxious and it's tense, but in a fun way. Because you can just let go if it very easily, because the whole movie relies on a character doing something nobody would actually ever do so the story will go in a direction you didn't see coming. Which is fun. But also not that serious.

But very organic. It felt like a very organic story, even though at the same time satirically heightened. And highly engaging. This felt much shorter than it actually was.
It's a very weird and fun mix of things. On the one hand I think that lack of points, which I would attest this movie, is a wasted opportunity, on the other when Dream Scenario made a point it was kind of dumb and weakened the movie for me. Instead this one actually played with the expectations the audience might have towards points being made. Because first you feel they're being unecessarily cruel to Emma. She was probably bullied and driven into a corner. Yet then we see her, yes, being bullied, but way not as hard as you'd expect. And we also see her genuinely be a little wannabe gangster. Like, it wasn't just because she was bullied. It was also because she was a grade A weirdo. And also a hypocrite.
Just as an example. The movie constantly did these kind of switcheroos, which I liked. It gave the characters some needed complexity and depth, and it made their romance much sweeter. Because they were both weird each in their own way. And also genuinely loved each other. That's what carried the movie for me (that and both of their performances). I mean, the movie could have had a non-happy ending, it did all kinds of things you didn't see coming, but then then it would have crumbled. Hard. That would have been massively inconsequential.
Because that's what I think the one point is the movie is making. We're all weird. Love is about loving how weird someone else is and saying fuck you to everyone who has a problem with that, even if it's the entire world.

It's really well made, aesthetically. And Zendaya and Pattinson are great in it. Probably career bests from both.
Mini Review: I wouldn't attest the movie as much depth as I see many people do. The movie isn't going for that. It's not trying to show the reality of anything. It's a farce. A fable. It's satirical and over the top. Characters tropily lean into certain aspects of themselves and conveniently forget to be a real person often, so that the plot can go in whatever farcical direction Borgli needs it to go in.But it's fun. Yes it's anxious and it's tense, but in a fun, not that serious kinda way.
Watch the Trailer