As A24, the independent production and distributor entertainment company, becomes more of a brand and a traded look, it has constantly received larger acclaim and popularity in its releases, with the smaller films it shows becoming significantly important in pop culture and more niche film communities. 

The latest release, with Zendaya and Robert Pattinson as the front cover stars, became the film with the 3rd biggest opening day and 3rd biggest opening weekend in A24 history. “The Drama,” directed by Kristoffer Borgli, shows us the journey of the preparation and marriage of Emma and Charlie, when suddenly a striking revelation of the past from one of them leads to a continuous path of distrust and confusion.  

Ari Aster as a producer should have been the first indication of something going very wrong during the film, and so it did. Without any spoilers, the last half of the film becomes a constant conflict in morality from Charlie, not only in what his fiancé Emma did, but also in what kind of person he is and how he will decide to answer this life-changing apprehension. While we are in the middle of this chaos, the meaning of love and forgiveness, as well as accepting one another fully despite the past, makes for an interesting concept in showing redemption. Additionally, the title sequence with Emma and Charlie practicing their wedding dance makes for one of the most beautiful and intimate scenes in recent years.  

As this is the first film of the Pattison-Zendaya double-up this year, being followed by “The Odyssey” and “Dune: Part Three,” we can see an unmatched chemistry and understanding of each other as well as a deep expertise from both of them as some of the last standing real film stars, mentioned by many media outlets. Acting coming from both of them, known for their hard work and love of the craft, shows attention to small details in the gestures and non-verbal of the characters, and both of our actors makes these characters feel extremely real. 

This is a perfect film for discourse and quickly became a fan favorite in becoming one of those pieces that bring a lot of different opinions of all sides, with many of the characters featuring double-standards and extreme contradiction. If you read a bit between the lines, it could be inferred that another strong topic talked about is “cancel culture” and the way we demonize some individuals forever, and we forgive others for doing worse acts.  

“The Drama” is now available in movie theaters around the world, and I recommend it to anyone reading.