Zendaya And Robert Pattinson's Divisive A24 Movie Is A Must-Watch On HBO Max
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Zendaya is having one of the best years ever as an actress. She's currently in "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" and "The Odyssey," with "Euphoria" Season 3 in the rearview mirror. Meanwhile, Robert Pattinson is also in "The Odyssey," with both actors also due to star alongside Timothee Chalamet in "Dune: Part Three" later this year. But before that, Zendaya and Pattinson starred in a pitch-black comedy from A24 that is now streaming.
Available now to HBO Max subscribers, "The Drama" is an unbelievably wild ride, one that truly warrants must-watch status. It's a divisive movie, and those who do watch it are going to have mixed feelings. Some of you are going to hate it and some of you are going to love it. But it's one of those movies that warrants an awful lot of discussion, and it's a discussion worth having.
Without getting into spoilers, the movie centers on a happily engaged couple (Zendaya and Pattinson) who are put to the test when an unexpected revelation sends their wedding week careening off the rails. Directed by Kristoffer Borgli ("Dream Scenario"), the cast also includes Alana Haim ("Licorice Pizza") and Mamoudou Athie ("Jurassic World Dominion").
Writing for /Film, Bill Bria called "The Drama" an "uncomfortable dramedy" in which Zendaya and Pattinson shine. That's as good of a description as one can offer without giving the whole thing away, but it's also the kind of review highlight that seems tame in retrospect. It's a difficult movie to discuss without giving away too much. That's the primary reason it warrants watching.
The Drama features a wild twist for the ages
There are plenty of controversial plot twists that have ruined movies over the years. There are also twists that have turned movies into legendary works of cinema, with "The Sixth Sense" likely being the first one that comes to mind for most people. In the case of "The Drama," it's a twist for the ages, but whether it makes or breaks the movie is really a matter of individual taste.
A24 had to find a way to market this movie without giving the whole thing away. What audiences were sold was an indie romantic dramedy of sorts. What they got was something much darker. Be that as it may, it didn't hurt its commercial prospects any. While "Backrooms" was A24's first movie to crack $300 million at the box office, "The Drama" pulled in $132 million, becoming one of the studio's biggest hits ever.
But for those who missed it in theaters, it's well worth taking a look at now that it's streaming. Regardless of what one thinks of it, it's hard to argue against the acting on display. Zendaya and Robert Pattinson are both firing on all cylinders, delivering some of their best work, respectively. It's also hard to deny that this movie makes a bold f*****g choice, opening up a difficult cultural discussion along the way.
It's a wild ride. Uncomfortable? You bet, but wild and, much like a trainwreck, almost impossible to look away from once it gets going.