Zendaya and Robert Pattison in Kristoffer Borgli's THE DRAMA (2026)

I haven't read any reviews of this (of course) or interviews with the writer/director, but it intrigues me a bit that Kristoffer Borgli has a strong outside-of-American perspective on the nature of what is revealed here as *the DRAMA* of the title, and that it is not incidental and is rather important to the story that Pattinson's Charlie is English and sees what Emma did in the past through a similar frame work. The Drama has that perspective (and I am being very careful here not to say anything about what *it* is, despite what you may have been spoiled by, thanks Reddit) without being so critical that it becomes just about that issue, if that makes sense. To put it another way, I didn't realize till the opening credits this was produced by Ari Aster and this film manages to do a better, more harrowingly and >i<howlingly>i< funny job making commentary feel grounded than his own Eddington (but I digress). 

The Drama is one of those films that connects so strongly to go in knowing as little as possible - and, to wit, the trailers have been exceptional at getting one interested in the premise without revealing the more disturbing hook that drives the swirl of hysterical landmines that it brings out - but suffice it to say the filmmakers are brilliant at, for example, showing the very thing that Charlie has in at first and then later deletes in his draft of his Wedding speech to his soon-to-be dear bride: empathy. 

It shows how people are f-ed up, in this country, sure but, like, everywhere, and how hypocrisy pops up like little bubbles that can't all be poked out (see the Alana Haim character as well, up to a point), and it is that film that can hold the mirror up to people - Skeletons are scary which is why they stay in a closet most of the time, etc - and not come off as too smug or full of itself. The film also stylistically reflects how a mind under pressure that goes in ten different directions, from someone we have a connection with, will make more than a few... mistakes, and that is funny. 

More than funny, The Drama is uncomfortable, sometimes staggeringly so, but it all comes out because of how skillfully Borgli sets things up early on with the characters - the awkwardness of their "Meet Cute" that itself has an air of terrific foreshadowing - not least of which that the sometimes fractured way he tells it, from a mind splintering off to think about this or that or to maybe picture holding hands with the teenage version of the other person, and especially at that dinner where everything blows up. Yes, you shouldn't drink, ever, not a good idea. And yes, maybe you will need therapy.... many many many years of therapy. But.... love is love! 

Indeed, my initial thoughts stepping out of the theater were to say this is easily the most ripe and intense Curb Your Enthusiasm episode never made (Pattinson is no Larry, sure - who is - but he is between this and Mickey 17 showing he has a certain wild, expertly timed, psychotically-tinged comic mania all his own), in particular how it takes subject matter that you think can't be joked about, and Borgli finds the way in because it is not about the thing itself but how everyone reacts to it that makes it incredible to sit through. I also have to mention Alana Haim as a key dramatic-comic personality here (what she says at the Wedding is one of those perfect scenes in the middle of an already nail-biting set piece), and Zendaya especially. Her character has levels that could be challenging for some performers, but we feel for Emma because of how much she digs into those awkward places within her and.... well, again, don't/can't/won't say too much. 

This is just blisteringly written, directed and edited for maximum emotional impact, and you'll be thinking about many of its turns and striking and even bewildering visuals for a while after it ends. Best to see it with your better half... you know him or her, right? ;)

(Oh, and I see what you are doing with that "The Passion of Anna" poster, Borgli!  Clever!)