The Drama

My nephew and I somehow managed to avoid all of the spoilers before seeing The Drama at the Broadway last night and, now that I have seen it, I highly recommend going in as blind as possible (this is as spoiler-free as I can make it but you might want to stop reading now).  Emma Harwood (Zendaya) and Charlie Thompson (Robert Pattinson) are feeling the usual stress in the week leading up to their wedding as they write their speeches (which is a clever way to introduce the audience to the characters and their relationship), practice the choreography for their first dance, and finalize the menu for the reception.  However, their stress level escalates when they see their DJ (Sydney Lemmon) for the reception smoking heroin on the street.  Charlie wants to fire her but Emma suggests that everyone has done something bad that they regret.  When they discuss the situation with their friends Rachel (Alana Haim) and Mike (Mamoudou Athie), they all take turns revealing the worst thing they have ever done.  Everyone is shocked by Emma's admission and, while he is initially supportive, Charlie starts to fixate on what she did and wonders if he really knows her.  They awkwardly continue with the wedding preparations but Charlie is eventually involved in an indiscretion brought on by his confusion, anger, and distress which leads to absolute mayhem at the reception!  What I loved most about this is that it begins as a romantic comedy (it even has a meet-cute in a coffee shop) but then expectations are subverted and it becomes a thought-provoking morality play.  The topic will be divisive and some might find it uncomfortable to watch.  I personally don't think Emma's actions are unforgivable but the exploration of why they send Charlie into a downward spiral is definitely intriguing.  Both Zendaya and Pattinson are outstanding!  They have tremendous chemistry and both communicate so much with subtle changes in facial expressions and body language.  Haim also gives the best performance of her career (I actually thought Rachel's admission was worse than Emma's).  Finally, the editing is absolutely brilliant because it really adds to the anxiety and discomfort felt by both Emma and Charlie.  I was very surprised by this and it is now one of my favorites of 2026.