Husband and Strife

If the purpose of cinema is to make the audience feel something, then few films succeed as completely as The Drama. The fact that said feeling is one of wanting to curl up and die of awkwardness shouldn't even be taken as a warning. Like a masochist munching down on a giant bowl of ghost peppers, you will likely find every bite delicious.

Robert Pattinson and Zendaya play soon to be married couple Charlie and Emma. They have the picture perfect relationship. They have successful jobs, a beautiful Boston apartment and look like Zendaya and Robert Pattinson. Little differences in their attitudes toward a wedding dance rehearsal and their potentially drug smoking DJ hint they may not be completely on the same page, and when a drunken game leads to Emma disclosing something from her past, their relationship experiences some severe turbulence.

It's tricky to fully discuss The Drama without spoiling Emma's revelation (and it absolutely should not be spoiled), but it points to a very American issue, even if maid of honour Rachel (played with perfect performative outrage by Alana Haim) is aghast at such a suggestion. Through Rachel and her much more laid back partner Mike (Mamoudou Athie), we see contrasting attitudes to this thorniest of subjects and the perils of being too honest with friends. The fact the movie mines humour from such a dark topic is an incredible feat of film alchemy, even if it may be a bridge too far for some viewers.

After the reveal, we segue from romantic comedy to awkward, slightly absurd farce. Charlie cannot wrap his head around what this new information means and proceeds to make every wrong choice imaginable. Emma is paranoid about Charlie's reaction and her secret reaching more people, and desperately wants to pretend nothing has changed. Sharp edits give us a view into what our protagonists are thinking and writer/director Kristoffer Borgli keeps the audience in a state of social discomfort usually only achievable for a few minutes at a time. He pulls this off by expertly using humour as a pressure release to keep the squirming at the desired level. In that way it shares a lot in common with Borgli's previous film, Dream Scenario. It even has another sex scene that will make you put your face in your hands.

What really makes the film work is the combination of the this precision writing and gangbuster performances from the two winning leads. Zendaya somehow manages to look pathetically sad and still super cool at the same time and carries steel underneath her sense of bewilderment, which is mainly focused on herself for voluntarily throwing a hand grenade into her relationship. Pattinson ditches the funny accents for a performance that feels closer to the awkwardly charming actor you see in interviews as British middle-class Charlie desperately tries to find someone to help him put his feelings into a logical order. It is impossible not to squirm as you watch them head for inevitable wedding day disaster.

The Drama is a look at America through an outsider's lens and a study of how much of your inner thoughts you should share with a significant other and when you should (or shouldn't) do so. It is above all though, a teeth-clenchingly awkward comedy of errors that will keep you uncomfortable in the most oddly satisfying way.

9 "is that Alexander Skarsgard?"s out of 10.

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