The Drama (2026)

I went into this film with the same expectations I go into every film, very little. And that isn't to say I went into the cinema feeling like this film was going to be bad or mediocre but that I had no idea what was going to happen.

If you have seen the trailers you will know the basic premise is that just before their wedding main characters Emma (played by Zendaya) and Charlie (played by Robert Pattison) reveal the worst thing they have done to each other and their friends Rachel and Mike. However whatever secret is revealed by Emma has life changing consequences that makes Charlie second guess their relationship. Now seeing this I assumed two minor points: The secret was going to remain a secret right up until the end and that secret was going to be a plot twist funny announcement. The kind of reveal they do in comedies where they hype it up to be this huge earth shattering news just for the last ten minutes to explain they wore socks with sandals one time. So when both of these expectations were shattered within the first section of the movie I was quite surprised.

*Spoilers from here onwards*

Not only was Emma's worst thing revealed early on but it was an actual huge secret to be said which I was thankful for. I did not want some large theatrics fall out just to for the reveal to be pointless so I am glad the movie took it a serious angle though I suppose I should have expected that with the film title being 'The Drama' and not 'The Comedy'. But what's more it was a very interesting and complex reveal to give with the knowledge being that Emma had planned a school shooting during middle/ high school. The film makers also do a great job at really focusing in on the supposed complexities of her situation that make it easier for us as the audience to truly carry the same thought process of Charlie as the film progresses. Having us instantly think that maybe she just had the thought before explaining nope she fully brought the gun to school, to then assuming she had a dark twisted reason like violent bullying to revealing she was actually just a somewhat minor outcast, to highlighting at least she didn't go through with it only for Emma to admit the only reason she didn't was because of another shooting near by.

The whole subject matter itself I found quite interesting as it does raise some good points about the commercialisation placed upon guns. The way that guns have become so normalised in the media to the point that we have become desensitised to them and their impact. We witness/ feel it ourselves especially in America when we hear about shootings because they seem so common which is an awful realisation. They also bring up the way guns link to sexuality particularly with women. This is a wide spread expression that is seen largely in action movies where the sexy lead woman slings around guns or swords in a way that is so dominating its attractive. It plays towards a certain type of audience that forgets the danger of weapons in favour of the fantasy that a controlling badass woman can both whip a subject into place or protect them endlessly. And it is this aesthetic that is played with in the movie where Emma is shown partaking in their own version of self expression and sexuality that comes with guns and gun control.

But as well as the control that comes with guns, which is something Emma seems to strive for, there is the attention. A large portion of this film for me seems to centre around the subject of attention. Especially in this era of the internet where there is a strong push for attention, With social media growing it is seen more and more how easily our need for attention rules our life, between likes and comments and reposts there seems to be a constant accepted battle that society is fighting for validation and fame. While social media isn't a prominent stage to put the concept on Emma still battles with this need for attention. The biggest point this is shown up is when discussing the reason she doesn't go through with it- saying the day she chose to do the shooting there was already one at a mall in their town. It truly place this sour taste in your mouth when at every turn you attempt to find something that might make sense of the decision and yet every time we are proven wrong.

The idea that the only reason she never went through with it was because she would have to share the news highlight with someone else which she didn't want and then the reason she never continued to do it at a later date was because she ended up joining an after school club that finally gave her the friends and attention she has been craving. Meaning she had no reason to commit the school shooting as her desire for attention had been filled. Following from this the fact the group she joined that prevented her from doing a shooting was a group protesting for gun control was a mixture of feelings. It just emphasised that everything in Emma's life is ruled by the idea of guns. Her dad was a soldier and kept a rifle easily accessible, she associated guns with control after moving around often and being the outcast at her new school and then guns became a gateway for human connection as she used their danger to empathise with their victims. It is a twisted constant in her life for various reasons that paint this conflicted sea of emotions as we watch and try to excuse the decision she made as a teen.

Now this isn't all to say that Emma didn't have a 'real reason' for planning a shooting the way she did. She moved around a lot as a kid with her dad being in the military which meant she never had a stable life for a lot of growing up. Never really made a lot of friends and if she did she moved so it seemed futile which meant she never has human contact which as we know from the pandemic does a number on ones mental health. And then at school she was bullied and teased. It does raise an interesting question of what level of bullying qualifies as acceptable to commit a shooting. The film seems to paint Emma's school experience as not enough to make sense of her school shooting obsession with Charlie himself expressing "That's it?" when learning of her backstory. It is an interesting way to justify a school shooting but one that should be widely more nuanced yet isn't. I found myself also thinking it was not as big a deal how Emma was called named and knocked around when her retaliation was to shoot everyone.

It just felt like a huge jump, as if she was nothing more that a spoilt child who chose to shoot up a school because she doesn't have the newest Iphone. But again that isn't what happened, she was bullied and made fun of daily which is naturally going to chip away at your mental state. It also puts a strangely morbid twist on how violant the bullying needs to be to be accepted. Most people would answer with physical violence being involved but Emma was getting shoulder shuved in the halls so there needs to be a higher level. It almost excuses and defends those who do bully by saying it couldn't have been that bad undless they were basically beating someone uncontious when you have no idea how badly the effect of being called names daily has on a young impressionable teen.

The relationship between Emma and Charlie at the start of the film is done so well to show us how much chemistry and love their is between the two, which only makes the ultimate reveal all the more complex. It does a good job at presenting us this relationship with seemingly no problems but more than that we start rooting for them. The choice of having Charlie prepare his wedding speech which is where we get the flashbacks of their relationship is a clever technique in establishing dynamics but also highlighting what Charlie views as important to talk about. He talks about their first meeting and how although very awkward is also charming in its own way. We see Charlies awkwardness but also his determination when pursuing Emma in conjunction to her relaxed and unphased demeanour which makes them fit all the more perfectly together, like a much needed balance.

Emma seems to bring both a calm energy to Charlies fumbling but also a childish humour, as shown by her pulling down his pants in 'serious' situations. Showing how she shapes his life to be both a relaxing atmosphere as well as one that can be carefree without worry. Which makes it all the more twisted when learning about Emma's past. A person who you not only loved deeply enough to marry but who you had such a kind and caring impression of, that now suddenly feels completely fake. It is a devastating realisation and one that is shown perfectly through out the movie as we watch Charlie remember all the moments in the past that could have eluded to such a thing as if he missed an obvious red flag. The moments that show this the most is through Emma's anger.

One such moment Charlie ends up flashing back to is a time when during sex Emma slaps him unexpectedly across the face. For some this is a natural kink however it is framed in a way that is completely unplanned and foreign for their relationship which makes Charlie now look back on the moment differently. A choice that originally was seen as a sudden decision made from either curiosity or experimentation and now becomes synonymous with planning a school shooting. It is a natural step to go through your past and remember things with new information that then chances those experiences however I do think it is a little funny that Emma does not highlight her experience at school as particularly angry but more so isolating and frustrating yet as soon as a gun is involved they're pained as angry. And while I have never seen any correlation between school shooters and BDSM I do think rethinking the memory is a funny assumption.

Similarly having Emma later yell at a car that almost hit them while they were crossing which is a valid reaction to have and yet Charlie is stressing the whole time as if any second now she will pull out a gun and shoot the driver is so funny. Having this already awkward presenting man now grapple with the idea the woman he loves and future wife planned a school shooting is just a slightly funny dynamic to see and a humour that is done so well. Even having the picture of Emma and Charlie that was used for the poster change where it hung in their kitchen to now show Emma making a finger gun instead of showing off her ring was just such a small but really comedic element. Not to mention how Charlie takes the one image he saw of younger Emma and applies that to daily life now, as if no matter how long ago it was he is still now dating that same 15 year old,

The only other thing I want to mention is how well this movie was shot. I know that may sound a stupid point to make considering technology now and how everything must look good but what I more so mean is the composition within the film. The entire film was captured in such a way that made it feel awfully intimate and extremely uncomfortable. most of the movie, if not all of it, was filmed with stationary shots. This meant that there was little use of camera pans of dollies following characters and their movement, instead the camera remains stationary with the occasional switch to a close up or wide shot within scenes. However even when switching between focus points such as a close up of Charlie or a close up of Rachel the editing is not frantic and even then remains fairly still which overall creates the impression that we are literally a fly on the wall. It puts us as the audience into the conversations first hand as we 'stand' uneasily listening and observing everyone's situations. Similar to how a child would stand, nervously watching their parents debate on whether or not you should go out with friends while awkwardly awaiting their response.

To summarise, The Drama (2026) was such an unexpectedly good movie I could not recommend it enough. Not only is it visually stunning but the writing was done amazingly. If it doesn't leave you questioning your own morality and what your own response to being in that situation would be it will certainly leave you with a conversation to have with your partner or friends.