The Drama ****

Fair warning: this is one of those precious movies that works best going in without any pretense or information. There is a twist so perplexing, it would be impossible to not think and converse about it the next day and then the day after that. I thought I was going to loathe this thing, but I can’t stop admiring its audacity, and I promise to not give any spoilers:

Like a diabolical Curb Your Enthusiasm situation, The Drama starts funny, turns queasy, begs philosophical, and then ends empathetically. 

The flashbacks are superfluous yet provoking, Robert Pattison’s character is underdeveloped but likable enough to root for, and the more we want to know and understand Emma’s (Zendaya) past choices, the less we actually do. And I think that is entirely the point of this film, debate, and experience: how much we want the past—murky or clear—to define a loved one is entirely up to our ability to not forgive but empathize (cue clever zoom-in closeups). 

Even if we can’t relate, do we want to try? The loose ends either keep us overthinking on our pillow or moving on with the present moment. A wonderful, funny, odd, and engrossing A24 experience for me. I so wanted to dismantle this one, but there’s an admiration for its risk, and the conversations afterward just keep on rolling.

Again, I think the loose ends—whether intentional or not—are part of the enigmatic and morally challenging experience.

If you’ve seen The Drama, I’d love to hear your thoughts where spoilers WILL be applied.