A24’s latest release, The Drama, seemed destined to be a straightforward romantic comedy—a “contemporary” love story starring two of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Robert Pattinson and Zendaya, as an engaged couple preparing for their wedding. But beneath the sunny press tour, in which the stars surprised newlyweds in Las Vegas and offered relationship advice, lurked a plot twist so provocative it sparked backlash before the film even premiered, drawing condemnation from the father of a Columbine victim.
The film, directed by Kristoffer Borgli (Dream Scenario), centers on Pattinson’s character Max and Zendaya’s Emma, a seemingly perfect couple whose relationship is tested in the week leading up to their wedding. The twist, which IndieWire critic David Ehrlich noted was designed to “lick one of the last genuine third rails of American discourse,” involves Emma revealing a secret that challenges everything Max thought he knew about her.
While critics and audiences have been careful to avoid explicit spoilers in public discourse, the general nature of the twist involves Emma’s past and a revelation that some viewers have found morally objectionable. Online reactions ranged from thoughtful debate to outright condemnation, with one Reddit user stating, “After finding out what Emma’s secret is I don’t think I’ll watch it. I feel like it’s trying to justify something really bad”.
The controversy escalated when TMZ reported that a father of a Columbine victim had condemned the film, calling it “disgusted”. This prompted wider discussion about whether The Drama was treating serious subject matter with appropriate gravity, or merely using shock value to generate buzz.
However, early reviews suggest that the twist, while provocative, is handled with Borgli’s signature surrealist sensibility—challenging rather than exploiting. The film uses the revelation to examine how well we truly know our partners, how relationships can survive catastrophic honesty, and whether love can transcend judgment. Zendaya’s performance reportedly grounds the potentially sensational material in genuine emotion, making Emma’s choices feel like the actions of a complex human rather than a plot device.
Pattinson and Zendaya’s promotional strategy—emphasizing the film’s romantic elements while downplaying the controversial aspects—now appears to have been a calculated attempt to let audiences discover the twist organically, rather than prejudging the film based on premise alone. Whether this approach backfired or successfully generated curiosity remains debatable.
The Drama is now playing in theaters, with audiences invited to judge for themselves whether Borgli has crafted a thoughtful exploration of modern relationships or crossed a line in pursuit of edginess. Either way, the conversation surrounding the film demonstrates that cinema can still provoke passionate debate in an era of algorithmic content.
Judge for yourself—see The Drama in theaters now and decide if the twist is meaningful provocation or exploitative shock.
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