“Love is the absence of judgment.” – Dalai Lama XVI
The Drama starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson stirs up much controversy among fans surrounding the reality of relationships and marriage. There are spoilers ahead, N Crowd!
The film, which hit theaters on April 3rd, leaves audiences utterly speechless. Soon to be married, Emma Harwood (Zendaya), drunkenly reveals an insecurity from her past during an intimate wine tasting days before her wedding. This confession leaves the groom and wedding party to question her overall character. Soon enough, the events that follow as he processes this new information lead the groom, Charlie Thompson (Pattinson), down a shameful path that leaves their relationship hanging on for dear life.
The shifting dynamic between the couple throughout The Drama gives audiences a nuanced take on how our own perception of our partner may create a version of them that is not always true… This raises questions such as how much do we need to know about somebody before getting married? How much does the past matter? And how to tell if your love exists beyond who your partner may be in the present moment.
Let’s say I do, and discuss some popular opinions on the film!
Cosmopolitan recently released an Instagram post titled Charlie Is The Real Villain Of ‘The Drama’. While watching the film, I notice how Pattinson’s character develops a chronic case of the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon. This occurs when a person starts noticing a specific concept or word more frequently after becoming aware of it. Soon after discovering his partner’s dark past, which involves intrusive thoughts of gun violence, he begins spotting multiple uncanny references to weapons in her current personality. He even hilariously goes so far as to throw away a mug in their kitchen that says, “Coffee or I’ll shoot.”
These seemingly harmless observations from Charlie ultimately cause him to spiral into doubting his relationship with Emma. In a moment of emotional revelation, Charlie kisses his assistant Misha, played by Hailey Gates. Many fans argue that this makes Charlie the real villain of the film and that the “worst thing he has ever done” actually comes true, whereas Emma’s worst act existed only as a distant thought from when she was a teenager.
I think that this interesting juxtaposition in the film creates a rather intriguing comparison between right and wrong. Or in this case, a lesser of two evils. The conversation surrounding who (if anyone) is able to place judgment in a relationship is one that The Drama creates with ease.
N Crowd, do you think Emma deserved the drama she got from her confession?
On the topic of judgment, or lack thereof, I, Lauren Wallis, brought my boyfriend to see this film (LOL!). Being the over-thinker that I am, I worried it might create a rift between us, but afterward, I actually felt it brought us closer than ever. Towards the end, when both confessions come to light, the couple leaves their wedding separately. Only minutes later, under the dim lights of a diner, they reunite and choose each other all over again.
The drama is an amazingly excruciating hard watch, and a reality check, one that we all need before entering a relationship. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows! Cosmopolitan writes, at one point in the movie, “Charlie loved Emma but in that specific way that doesn’t leave any room for her humanity, which isn’t really love at all.” We couldn’t agree more, and watching their relationship blossom after embracing acceptance is a beautiful message that I am grateful A24 is able to give audiences.
In the words of Charlie, “True love is complicated, it’s about acceptance, radical acceptance.”
