There have been a plethora of mixed reviews circulating the internet about The Drama starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, so I decided to buy a few tickets with my friends and see the movie for myself. I have been eager to see this film, partially because of the actors selected for the roles, but if you have seen the trailer for this movie, you know Zendaya’s character has a big secret to be revealed, and that had me hooked. I did generally enjoy seeing this film, but there were some things that made me uneasy, so let’s dive in. I would like to preface with a TRIGGER WARNING for anyone sensitive to gun violence as I will be covering that topic, and for those of you who have yet to see this movie, SPOILERS AHEAD!!
I was pleased with the plot itself and the way the movie was filmed—it definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. I really enjoy films with frequent cutaways, like when the main characters are in conversation and the director cuts away right as they’re about to say something important and it leaves you a little confused but also intrigued. That might not make sense, but that was the style of this movie, and it kept me trying to guess what was going to happen next, almost like a mystery. As for the plot, it revolved around an engaged couple, Emma and Charlie (played by Zendaya and Robert Pattinson), who are in the last couple of days before their wedding. At dinner with their married friends one night, they all tell each other the worst thing they have ever done, revealing Emma’s secret that she planned a school shooting when she was in high school. This led to the fallout of a friendship and major relationship tension between the engaged couple. The plot follows the couple as they navigate the fragility of relationships and trusting each other again as they approach their wedding day. Now, the issue of the whole school shooting thing I will discuss later, but I thought this situation was really eye-opening and it had me and my friends contemplating how we would handle this ourselves.Â
I personally thought the acting was also commendable. I mean, anything Zendaya touches turns to magic; she’s the ultimate triple threat and just an incredible actress without question. She’s the kind of actress who makes you feel like you’re staring through a window and watching the film happen in real life. Robert Pattinson also has a way of doing this, but I am usually more focused on trying to pretend like I’m watching Edward Cullen. Unfortunate for him, but I will always see him that way.Â
On another less positive note, I really struggled watching the clips of young Emma cosplaying a school shooter. They tried to make it funny somehow? But I was just left feeling uncomfortable. For background, when Emma revealed her secret, she told her friends that she planned a school shooting when she was in high school. Her fiancĂ© , Charlie, really struggled with this and demanded an explanation from her, so she explained to him that she was a severely troubled child and was obsessed with the aesthetic of “school shooters.” There were clips of a young actress as Emma playing with her father’s assault rifle and making videos talking about which one of her classmates was going to be shot first. This is the part that I struggled with. They edited these parts of the movie in a satirical way, and maybe I am wrong about that, but it almost made it feel like they were trying to get a laugh out of the audience. And I’ll be honest, I did laugh…out of uncomfortability. My friends and I kept looking over at each other with confusion saying, “Haha, what? Is this real?” I think it was just a little scary that this topic is so desensitized that you can write it into movies and people will laugh about it. I also was wondering how people who have experienced a school shooting would have felt about this. I think everyone who was involved in this film should have been more empathetic of the audience because of how sensitive this topic is.Â
Overall, I think the movie was well-written, and the acting was commendable, with performances that brought depth to the characters. The plot and film style definitely had me on the edge of my seat and always second-guessing the actions of the characters. However, I think the topic of gun violence could’ve been handled with more caution and sensitivity to the audience. The lack of a trigger warning at the beginning of the movie or in the trailer is concerning to me, and I think the cast and crew should’ve contemplated this more thoroughly.Â