“The Drama” Review
I recently went to see the new Zendaya and Robert Pattinson movie, The Drama. Here is my review for it.
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS
Foregoing the witty one sentence and instead being bravely genuine in this review.
Before going into the movie, a friend (who had the plot twist spoiled) told me that she didn’t think I’d like it because it’s making fun of a sensitive topic. I came out of the movie having really enjoyed myself, and being staunchly against the idea that it’s making fun of school shootings.
Are there moments of levity that sometimes feel jarring? For sure. And I guess I can understand how someone (potentially someone who finds the most empathy for Alana Haim’s character... somehow) could interpret those moments as not taking the subject matter seriously, but they’d be missing a whole lot of the messaging imo.
Movies aren’t always meant to be black and white and this one surely isn’t. It’s an uncomfortable topic revolving around a very interesting question: Where do you draw the line with a partner’s past? How would you respond if your partner told you they planned a school shooting? The movie isn’t telling you how to respond — in fact the editing showcases that there could be many different responses you might have — but it postulates on a specific response from Charlie and another from Rachel. In this postulating, I do think the movie is certainly making a case for leading with empathy no matter what.
We see this (even before the plot twist!) with the whole DJ/heroin situation when Emma suggests giving her grace as they might’ve caught her at one of the worst moments of her life.
I think the film also has strong messaging about the importance of recognizing depression in kids, keeping guns locked away, and the importance of community and inclusion. Very serious messages woven between some silly scenarios.
How much reformation is needed before forgiveness? Are we not allowed to forgive Emma after she reformed into a gun control advocate? Are we allowed to forgive Rachel for locking the kid in the closet even though she seemed to show no remorse or reformation years later? Can we forgive Charlie for cheating because he loves Emma so much despite following through on treacherous actions? When Emma never actually did follow through on her worst moment? How much do the lines of intention, action, and impact blur?
Anywho, this movie was beautifully shot, beautifully edited, wonderfully acted, wonderfully directed, perfectly scored, etc. I liked it!
find this review on letterboxd through this link
