Here comes the bride, all dressed in…Hold up. Is that blood?
Kristoffer Borgli’s 2026 dramedy The Drama came onto Canadian cinema screens earlier this month. Starring Hollywood sweethearts Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, the film was surrounded by high expectations for its delivery. On a personal level, I shared the same excitement to see Zendaya as a leading lady. I’d fallen trap to something like a Zendaya “rabbithole” between tackling the Dune duology, and twiddling my thumbs waiting for Euphoria season 3. In a strange but insightful transition, I walked into The Drama for Zendaya and left with a rather niche appreciation for dramedies with political undertones.
Borgli’s The Drama takes a satirically extreme approach to the trials and tribulations involved in picking a life partner, a.k.a. deciphering who the heck they are. In a timeline leading up to the rapidly approaching wedding between two 30-something-year-old sweethearts, Emma (Zendaya) and Charlie (Robert Pattinson), the bounds of a relationship are tested in the face of an unignorable bomb drop.
In developing and mitigating the main conflict, the couple’s morals, values, and boundaries are pushed to the edge. The Drama heavily relies on the theme of morality to build narratives in favour of, and against, the soon-to-be-wed. Meaning, the dominating moral “verdict” is strongly dependent on the amount of context given to the conflict at any moment in time. In addition to morality, the film heavily relies on perspective to build a plotline. Plainly said, the degree of varied narration is necessary for viewers to form a solid opinion of their own by the time credits roll. By incorporating diverse storytelling, the film manages to give a spotlight to a plethora of real identities and experiences closely interlinked with the conflict at large.
The film thoughtfully incorporates cinematographic elements like sound to build a scene. In fact, one of my strongest points of admiration for The Drama follows its use of isolated and often overpowering sound effects. Remarkably, the film manages to use fleeting sound effects to define an entire scene. Whether that sounded like off-beat tapping being used to indicate a spiralling plotline, or overpowering whispers crafted to mimic an uncontrollable sense of self-doubt, it’s safe to say that the soundboard kept me hooked. In addition to the use of sound, I appreciated the reality in which The Drama is set. As a dramedy, the film takes a risk by addressing a distinct social issue in North America, but manages to do so with grace and sensitivity. To be able to speak to a grim reality and simultaneously deliver top-rate comedic performances should be an accolade of its own.
I went into this film blindfolded and toting a “Team Zendaya” patch on my sleeve, but left with an extensive appreciation for the incredible minds behind modern film. The Drama continues to play in several Toronto-based theatres for the foreseeable month, and I encourage readers to make use of its theatre presence.
Whether you’re a fellow member of the Zendaya fan club, a sucker for romcoms with high stakes, or one of Cupid’s (or Ares’s) disciples in the modern film scene,The Drama awaits you.