Robert Pattinson & Zendaya’s New R-Rated Movie Debuts To Stellar Rotten Tomatoes Score

Robert Pattinson and Zendaya are set to have a massive 2026. Not only are the stars part of some of the year’s biggest releases, but they will be appearing in three of them together. In terms of box office potential, taking all of 2026’s theatrical releases into account, Pattinson and Zendaya’s Dune: Part Three and The Odyssey should finish among the highest-grossing.

Zendaya will also star in Marvel and Sony’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which is likely to gross over $1 billion. However, before those movies arrive, the first collaboration between Pattinson and Zendaya is now coming up. The duo stars in The Drama, an A24 romance with a shocking twist, and ahead of its theatrical debut, the R-rated movie is already a critical darling.

At the time of writing, The Drama debuted on Rotten Tomatoes with a high 84% critics’ score based on 38 reviews. The romance is set to arrive in theaters on Friday, April 3. So far, out of the R-rated movie’s 38 reviews, Pattinson and Zendaya’s new collaboration has garnered 32 Fresh — positive — reviews and only 6 Rotten — negative — reviews.

In ScreenRant’s The Drama review, critic Alex Harrison gave the movie a 9 out of 10 score, describing the A24 movie as “thrilling, funny & much more than its twist.” According to the writer, The Drama‘s lead stars are excellent in their roles, with Pattinson and Zendaya alternating skillfully between “glossy romantic leads, emotionally complex characters, and comedic exaggerations.” The film was perfectly cast.

Other positive The Drama reviews come from G. Allen Johnson for the San Francisco Chronicle, who shines the spotlight on the movie’s female lead, claiming The Drama is Zendaya’s movie; Emma Stefansky for Empire Magazine, who praises director Kristoffer Borgli for not making The Drama‘s major reveal the movie’s main focus; and Peter Bradshaw for Guardian, who claims The Drama delivers on its title’s promise.

As for The Drama‘s negative reviews, Robert Daniels at RogerEbert.com states that the R-rated movie “barely understands its own characters.” Richard Lawson comments on The Hollywood Reporter‘s review that The Drama‘s premise happens to have no real structure behind it, dubbing the film “a handsomely made, sharply performed letdown.” Additionally, Nick Schager from The Daily Beast deems it a “tone-deaf joke that won’t end.”

The Drama focuses on Zendaya’s Emma Harwood and Robert Pattinson’s Charlie Thompson, who see their relationship get shaken to its core by a surprising reveal just days before their wedding. The R-rated film then explores how they can move forward after the reveal and whether they truly know one another at all. The Drama‘s Rotten Tomatoes score should fluctuate throughout the week.