Zendaya and Robert Pattinson star in The Drama, a wedding rom-com centered around a twisted secret. But is the movie safe for children and teens to watch?
Zendaya wears ‘Something Blue’ dress on ‘The Drama’ New York carpet
The current Zendaya-themed red carpet rollout for The Drama ended with the actress’ final “Something Blue” dress.
Spoiler alert! The following story contains important details about the drama’s plot twist.
Save the date for the most polarizing film of the year.
“The Drama” (released April 3) is billed as a quirky romantic comedy about a woman named Emma (Zendaya) who reveals a horrifying secret during a wine game with her friends, which causes her to suspect that her fiancé Charlie (Robert Pattinson) is marrying a sociopath. This disturbing revelation is even darker than Zendaya being asked to star in the HBO series “Euphoria,” and is sure to shock fans who have followed the star since her Disney Channel and “Spider-Man” days.
Here’s what parents need to know about “The Drama” and whether it’s safe for kids and teens to watch.
What is the plot twist in the movie “The Drama”?
Written and directed by Christopher Borli (Dream Scenarios), this pitch-black satire follows Emma and Charlie in the week leading up to their wedding. Late one drunken night, she makes the disturbing revelation that when she was 15 years old, she was brutally bullied and planned a school shooting. However, just as Emma is about to carry out the attack, another mass shooting occurs at the local shopping mall, killing a student.
Emma’s upset classmates welcome her, and soon she is recruited into a gun violence prevention group, effectively burying her brutal tendencies. But when Charlie eventually learns about her past, he is forced to question whether he should marry someone who would even consider doing such a terrible thing to her.
What is your evaluation of “The Drama”?
This film is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of Japan for language, sexual content, and some violence.
For what age is ‘The Drama’ suitable?
I have to side with the Film Institute here and advise that you should be over 17 years old to watch this movie. The film deals with very serious subject matter and includes multiple flashbacks to a younger Emma who was physically and verbally bullied during her high school years.
Teenage Emma is shown practicing shooting outside, walking around the house with a rifle, and filming a suicide note. In the video, she used explicit language while listing the names of her classmates and said one female student would die first.
In an earlier scene, Emma’s friend Rachel (Alana Haim) confesses that she once locked her developmentally disabled child in a closet and left him alone, which led to a search party finding him. Charlie eventually gets fed up with Emma as well and decides to cheat on her with his assistant (Haley Benton Gates).
“The Drama” is a creepy, morally complex piece of work that could be titillating for teenagers in a number of ways. If your child is actually going to see a movie, it’s wise for parents to discuss the movie and welcome any questions they may have.
How much sex and nudity does “The Drama” contain?
The sex scene itself is relatively short. The opening montage shows Charlie passionately telling his friend Mike (Mamudouh Ati) how much he loves having sex with Emma, and we see flashes of the couple in the midst of passion.
Later, after learning that Emma was planning a mass shooting, she begins slapping Charlie in the face during sex, and Charlie worries that her violent fantasies will extend to the bedroom. Charlie masturbates and almost has sex with his assistant in his office, but the encounter is hasty and they both remain fully clothed.
Although the image itself is not explicit, at one point Charlie flips through an art book featuring a woman wearing lingerie and holding a gun, and begins imagining Emma in similarly revealing clothing astride a rifle.
Will there be violence in Zendaya and Robert Pattinson’s ‘The Drama’?
Most of the violence is purely spoken, but Charlie has some sort of horrifying stress dream in which Emma is a potential murderer. In one nightmarish scene, her ear begins to bleed midway through dinner. And in another horrifying moment, there is a gruesome shot of dozens of wedding guests covered in blood as bodies litter the ballroom.
There’s also some gallows humor. In one scene played for laughs, Charlie becomes transfixed by how many times the wedding photographer says he’ll “shoot” his family and friends. Later, while taking portraits, Charlie imagines going on a series of dates with Emma, a happy-looking teenager.
When will “The Drama” be released?
“The Drama” is scheduled to be released in theaters on April 3rd, but a streaming release date has not yet been announced.
