The Drama: An Intriguing Premise Undone by Narrative Limitations (4K)

The Film:

Last we saw of writer/director Kristoffer Borgli, he delivered the rather intriguing "Dream Scenario," a film with a fascinating premise in which everyone is inexplicably dreaming about the same ordinary person. Unfortunately, it ended up being another classic example of a filmmaker having a really neat idea, but not really knowing where to take it or how to use it effectively, ultimately leading to a film that basically meanders for its brief 90-minute runtime. Now Borgli returns with a much simpler, more grounded concept in "The Drama," where a startling admission wreaks havoc on a soon-to-be-married couple. After letting his more outlandish premise get away from him, will Borgli perhaps have better luck executing an idea that's a little more down-to-Earth?

As the film opens, we witness how Charlie Thompson (Robert Pattinson) and Emma Harwood (Zendaya) met in a coffee shop, with the former pretending to have read the book she's currently reading. The two begin dating, and two years later are set to be married in a matter of days, with the various preparations all underway. One night, they're out with their friends Mike (Mamoudou Athie) and Rachel (Alana Haim), and they decide to go around the table and admit the worst thing that they've ever done. Charlie, Mike, and Rachel confess to some pretty bad things, but when it comes to Emma, her admission leaves them all shocked, so much so that it causes all of them to see her in a different light. With this horrifying revelation, will Charlie & Emma be able to work through it and proceed with their wedding as planned?

"The Drama" attempts to tell a story of a relationship thrown into unexpected turmoil by a shocking confession, and in that endeavor, it at least succeeds in part. It's the kind of scenario where you wonder how you would react to your significant other admitting the same thing. Is it the type of revelation you'd be able to put aside as you proceed to tie the knot? Or is it something that is so disturbing that it would make you dissolve any such plans? This is what we watch Charlie attempt to grapple with as he tries to understand the motivation for what Emma almost did years ago.

As far as a concept for a film goes, it's a mildly interesting one, but it's also a rather problematic one. After the initial shock of the admission wears off, you quickly begin to realize that the film has basically backed itself into a corner, one that really gives it only two general directions in which it can go: Either Charlie & Emma are going to be able to work their way through this unusual & difficult ordeal or they won't. This pretty much leaves the film to just kind of flail about as tempers rise & emotions stir, and since there simply isn't a whole lot that can happen within the confines of its rigid structure, it doesn't take much deductive reasoning to see exactly which of the two options it's going to take.

That said, Robert Pattinson & Zendaya turn in some fine performances here, doing what they can with the limited space that the narrative gives them, but sadly, even with their talents, it's just not nearly enough to offset the film's somewhat bland & uneventful screenplay. As we saw with "Dream Scenario," Borgli has a knack for coming up with ideas that have a decent amount of potential, but when it comes to develop that potential, he seems to hit a wall that has his premises running out of gas before they can get anywhere. In the end, the single biggest issue with "The Drama" is that, despite it being a mildly interesting scenario, it's one that simply doesn't have anywhere particularly compelling to go, ultimately leaving us with a film that wanted to create some intriguing drama, but just couldn't follow through on it.

Video/Audio:

"The Drama" comes to 4K in a 1.85:1, 2160p Ultra High Definition transfer of excellent quality, presenting a picture that is beautifully sharp & clear throughout the entire 106-minute duration. Likewise, the Dolby Atmos audio track is marvelous, giving you all of the dialogue & music in outstanding quality. Overall, A24 has done a great job in both departments for the film's 4K debut.

Special Features:

Commentary with Costume Designer Katina Danabassis, Production Designer Zosia MacKenzie, and Co-Editor Joshua Raymond Lee

Unpacking the Drama (17 Minutes): A making-of featurette featuring interviews with the cast & crew.

Wardrobe & Camera Test with Commentary by Katina Danabassis (5 Minutes)

Relationship Hotline Promo (10 Minutes): The cast gives relationship advice over the phone.

Charlie & Emma Wedding Video (1 Minute)

Conclusion:

Kristoffer Borgli's "The Drama" offers up a mildly intriguing scenario that has a relationship thrown into unexpected turmoil due to a shocking confession, with co-leads Robert Pattinson & Zendaya delivering fine performances, but sadly there just isn't much they can do with the film's rigid & limiting narrative, which simply doesn't have any particularly compelling directions to go, ultimately making for a rather bland & uneventful drama.

Score: 2.5/5

Available on 4K starting tomorrow.

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