This review may contain spoilers.
I just realized that I never actually reviewed The Drama in the spring. I saw it at least three times in theaters, bought it when it first came to streaming, and have watched it any number of times since then. I love this movie. I think this is really well done, and that Robert Pattinson and Zendaya started a big year for the both of them off better than anyone would have guessed going into the year. Pattinson plays Charlie as this neurotic, bumbling, handsome guy who is just a little bit of a fool. He is almost like Clark Kent without the superpowers. Zendaya plays Emma as his charming, beautiful, empathetic, seemingly perfect fiancée. Mamoudou Athie plays Charlie’s best man, Mike, while Alana Haim plays Emma’s maid of honor, Rachel. All four of them fit their roles extremely well. The premise is fairly simple. The four of them are sitting down over food and wine after the wedding rehearsal, talking about their pasts and sharing the worst things they have ever done. Most of the stories are relatively harmless or obnoxious, and then Emma drops an absolute bomb on them. The whole movie spins out from there: Charlie’s reaction, their friends’ reactions, their families’ reactions and the way everyone begins treating Emma after what she revealed. That is about as much as I can say without giving away the movie. Most people probably already know the general gist of it by now, but I still do not want to spoil it. Despite the subject matter it ultimately delves into, I just found this movie incredibly charming. The characterizations and relationships are on point. Pattinson and Zendaya have exactly the right chemistry, but Athie and Haim are equally important because so much of the movie depends upon how Mike and Rachel respond and how their reactions affect the couple. The film is really just playing off the interpersonal chemistry among these four people and what happens when one revelation completely destabilizes all of their relationships. I also thought the musical choices were very good. “Inside Out” by Jesse Rae becomes a theme of sorts for the movie, and it is a perfect choice. The song is an earworm and a whole vibe in itself. Whoever was responsible for the music picked something that was just spot-on. That is how I feel about the entire film. There are a lot of small choices here, and they all turned out to be the right choices. The casting, the performances, the music and the way the relationships are portrayed all hit the right notes. To me, this is a bit like Obsession in that it is a movie that makes you feel extremely uncomfortable at times, but it is worth seeing because it is so well crafted. I thought it was a really good movie when I first left the theater. I probably would have given it four stars then. As the year went on and I kept watching it, I realized that I liked it much more than that. I do not really like changing my ratings because I prefer to stick to my guns, but I am moving this up to four and a half stars. Honestly, it may be my favorite film of the year, and I cannot leave it sitting in the four-star range when I am clearly feeling four and a half. This is also another part of what has become the epic year of Zendaya. She began the year here with everyone around her judging her every move, fairly or unfairly. Now the meme from The Odyssey is Zendaya as Athena silently looking over everyone’s shoulder and judging them. There is something funny about the way that came full circle. Pattinson is having a big year too. He has had a recent run of success playing absolute pricks, and Charlie is certainly capable of being a prick, but this is probably the most likable role he has had this year. He is always good, and he is especially good here. I have now seen The Drama at least three times in theaters and any number of times since buying it. It has only improved for me. This quietly became one of my favorite films of the year, and it may ultimately be my favorite.