Intro: TThe buzz around this movie was impossible to miss: an A24 production with Zendaya & Robert Pattinson (on their first movie collaboration of many upcoming ones in 2026), an interesting concept, a marketing campaign for the ages and, cherry on top, good reviews. We couldn't miss it.
Film 2464: "The Drama" (2026), Kristoffer Borgli
Watched: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh, Debbi
Thoughts: I wasn't sure what to expect with this one. I can't say I was completely won over by it, but I definitely found it interesting, and I appreciate how it sparked a conversation and a media frenzy around the story's main topic, as well as how well Alana Haim played her character. I'll say it straight away: I liked "The Drama". I think Zendaya and Pattinson are perfect scene partners and deliver amazing performances, the screenplay is well written - really funny at times, surreal at others - and overall this is a very interesting ride. The dramatic aspects of the story definitely land, although I wish the film had focused on more than just one subject. I won't spoil anything; suffice it to say that the dramatic core of the story stems from a revelation made by Zendaya's character at the beginning of the movie. From there, chaos slowly builds until the day of the wedding, where everything culminates in madness. I'm not mad at the fact that the dramatics promised by the title of the movie - and the posters and trailers - are ultimately tied to only one element of the story, I just wish they had delivered a bit more. Because of how the marketing campaign was handled, I imagined shenanigans happening left and right, some sort of trainwreck unfolding in slow motion as the wedding date approached. Instead, although shenanigans do happen, they all stem from one thing and one thing only. And look, that's OK, but after a while I have to admit I got a bit tired of how the story kept bringing this revealed secret back up without having the characters really acknowledge it until the very end of the movie. It could have been cool to use it as the perfect dramatic engine to kick the story off and then eventually move on to other shocking revelations or events so that the story would keep progressing and become more chaotic each time. Instead, we spend the whole movie focused on one topic, and the screenplay chooses to explore how all the characters react and interact after the secret has been exposed. As I said, I'm not mad about it; it's all handled in a way that works for the story. I just think a different approach would have worked better for me. That said, while the two main leads are perfectly matched for their roles, I think Alana Haim is really the scene-stealer here. Her performance as Rachel is so good that you can't help but hate her. I was really impressed by her portrayal. All in all, "The Drama" definitely delivered enough dramatics to be entertaining and refreshingly good. The story could have pushed things even further, but I appreciate how the movie manages to start a conversation around a tough topic in a way that shows both depth and a clear point of view, while being satirical and serious at the same time.
Cast: Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Alana Haim, Mamoudou Athie, Hailey Benton Gates, Zoë Winters.
Box Office: $130.8 million
Worth a watch?: Its vibe reminded me of another A24 film that came out last year, "The Materialist", though obviously the two stories are different. If you enjoyed that one - or if you appreciate A24 movies in general - definitely give this one a watch. Zendaya and Robert Pattinson once again prove their star power and why they are two of the most interesting actors working in Hollywood today.
Awards: /
Key word: Worst thing.
Trailer
#HollywoodCiak
Bengi
Watched: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh, Debbi
Thoughts: I wasn't sure what to expect with this one. I can't say I was completely won over by it, but I definitely found it interesting, and I appreciate how it sparked a conversation and a media frenzy around the story's main topic, as well as how well Alana Haim played her character. I'll say it straight away: I liked "The Drama". I think Zendaya and Pattinson are perfect scene partners and deliver amazing performances, the screenplay is well written - really funny at times, surreal at others - and overall this is a very interesting ride. The dramatic aspects of the story definitely land, although I wish the film had focused on more than just one subject. I won't spoil anything; suffice it to say that the dramatic core of the story stems from a revelation made by Zendaya's character at the beginning of the movie. From there, chaos slowly builds until the day of the wedding, where everything culminates in madness. I'm not mad at the fact that the dramatics promised by the title of the movie - and the posters and trailers - are ultimately tied to only one element of the story, I just wish they had delivered a bit more. Because of how the marketing campaign was handled, I imagined shenanigans happening left and right, some sort of trainwreck unfolding in slow motion as the wedding date approached. Instead, although shenanigans do happen, they all stem from one thing and one thing only. And look, that's OK, but after a while I have to admit I got a bit tired of how the story kept bringing this revealed secret back up without having the characters really acknowledge it until the very end of the movie. It could have been cool to use it as the perfect dramatic engine to kick the story off and then eventually move on to other shocking revelations or events so that the story would keep progressing and become more chaotic each time. Instead, we spend the whole movie focused on one topic, and the screenplay chooses to explore how all the characters react and interact after the secret has been exposed. As I said, I'm not mad about it; it's all handled in a way that works for the story. I just think a different approach would have worked better for me. That said, while the two main leads are perfectly matched for their roles, I think Alana Haim is really the scene-stealer here. Her performance as Rachel is so good that you can't help but hate her. I was really impressed by her portrayal. All in all, "The Drama" definitely delivered enough dramatics to be entertaining and refreshingly good. The story could have pushed things even further, but I appreciate how the movie manages to start a conversation around a tough topic in a way that shows both depth and a clear point of view, while being satirical and serious at the same time.
Cast: Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Alana Haim, Mamoudou Athie, Hailey Benton Gates, Zoë Winters.
Box Office: $130.8 million
Worth a watch?: Its vibe reminded me of another A24 film that came out last year, "The Materialist", though obviously the two stories are different. If you enjoyed that one - or if you appreciate A24 movies in general - definitely give this one a watch. Zendaya and Robert Pattinson once again prove their star power and why they are two of the most interesting actors working in Hollywood today.
Awards: /
Key word: Worst thing.
Trailer
#HollywoodCiak
Bengi
