“The Drama” (Zendaya, Robert Pattinson) is for Dark Romance Fans

Have you seen the trailer for The Drama? Tagged a “dark comedy,” this A24 film gives almost nothing away from the peeks of trailers I saw online. At a glance: we know two people are in love, we know a wedding is happening, and we know there is…well, some sort of drama.

Emma (Zendaya) and Charlie (Robert Pattinson) start their relationship with a meet-cute in a café. She’s reading a book and is deaf in one ear; he pretends to have read the book and thinks she’s rejected him when he can’t get her attention. It’s awkward, clumsy, charming, and absolutely should not be used as a measuring stick when trying to gage what’s to come.

Their meeting story is one of many anecdotes Emma and Charlie are passing around and polishing while writing their wedding speeches. It’s been years past their initial encounter, and they are on the cusp of their wedding day. Really, The Drama could have been a romantic comedy up until this point. Until it takes a dark turn, that is.

While sampling food for their wedding menu, the couple and their two friends dare one another to name the “worst thing they ever did.” Storytime goes around the table. Someone was an online bully, someone locked a child in a closet and caused an overnight manhunt, someone else used their ex as a human shield against an aggressive alleyway dog. Then, it’s Emma’s turn; she’s drunk, and she holds nothing back.

You see, when she was in grade school, Emma planned to commit a mass shooting. And the only reason she didn’t go through with it was another, similar tragedy happened and stole her thunder. Then, she gets swept up into anti-gun activism and sort of…forgets about the whole thing. Until now.

We learn about her plan and state of mind in bits and pieces throughout the film, which never paints her as tortured or sympathetic. She admits she was bullied a few times but mainly just disliked people and was attracted to “the aesthetic” of school shootings. She’s deaf in one ear because she test-fired her rifle of choice too close to her head.

Charlie becomes consumed by this information. Haunting images of his bride-to-be’s past self follow him everywhere. He sees guns around every corner, on coffee mugs and in books mysteriously delivered to his office. He confronts a shooting victim awkwardly. He cries in front of his coworker. He can’t get aroused during sex. The test photoshoot with the wedding photographer has him looking like he’s just seen a ghost.

The thing about The Drama is that everyone is awful. Everyone lies, bullies, overreacts, schemes, and betrays. But I was rooting for Emma and Charlie. Their love was passionate and engaging, and the writers do a bang-up job making you love their love before unceremoniously ripping it away.

The chemistry is undeniable. The sex is sexy. The characters are likeable even when they’re not. The dialogue is lightning quick and witty as Hell. The comedy bits will make you gasp “I can’t laugh at this” while you, in the same breath, laugh away. It’s clever, pitched-black, twisting, unexpected, and all-too human.

Demons in your past, morally grey characters, a steamy romance you want to root for despite all that—that’s what dark romance is made of. If you’re looking for a bleak, hilarious, wild ride with tons of twists, The Drama makes a for a great date night flick. Well, if your SO has as dark of a sense of humor as you, that is.