The Drama’s suspenseful trailer and covert marketing have fans wondering what the apparent romance is really about. A24 is dropping hints about the movie, but making audiences wait until its theatrical debut on April 3 to get the whole picture. That said, the secret plot is garnering significant interest in The Drama, and the leading actors alone are enough of a draw to intrigue fans.
Zendaya & Robert Pattinson Play An Engaged Couple In The Drama
The Drama depicts the unraveling of a happily engaged couple when they face an unexpected challenge the week of their wedding, according to the A24 synopsis. Zendaya and Robert Pattinson play the (once) happy couple, Emma Harwood and Charlie Thompson. The Drama is one of three movies the actors share a screen in this year, including The Odyssey and Dune.
The Drama is written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli, known for his 2023 dark comedy, Dream Scenario. Borgli’s films can be difficult to categorize, and The Drama’s genre is somewhat unclear. The R-rated movie appears romantic, with a touch of darkness under the surface.
While there is little information on The Drama side characters, the trailer reveals notable cast members Alana Haim (One Battle After Another) and Mamoudou Athie (Kinds of Kindness) as the engaged couple’s friends. It is during a conversation with these friends that the titular drama is apparently revealed.
The Drama Sets Up A Major Plot Twist
The Drama synopsis suggests a major plot twist is at the film’s core. The official synopsis teases an “unexpected turn” that acts as a catalyst for the movie’s action. This twist remains a well-kept secret, but it may occur during a dramatic scene featured in the trailer.
Beginning as a traditional romantic comedy, the rosy trailer turns somewhat sinister after Emma and Charlie’s friends initiate a truth-telling game.
“Before we got married, we did this thing where we said the worst thing we’ve ever done,” prompts Alana Haim’s character in The Drama trailer.
The trailer safeguards the characters’ secrets but reveals the ensuing reactions. Each confession is met with shocked laughter until Emma’s turn. Her secret elicits horrified responses from the entire group, including her fiancé.
Following this scene, the formerly in-sync couple appear uneasy together, and chaos ensues. In one scene, Charlie is covered in what looks like blood. In another scene, Emma runs into the night in her wedding dress. Accepting the common assumption that Emma’s secret is the “unexpected turn” the synopsis references, fans wonder what information could elicit this level of turmoil.
While the trailer gives little away, A24 has been quietly announcing the wedding of Emma Harwood and Charlie Thompson as if they are a real couple. This might be more than a clever marketing scheme; it could provide additional clues to the fabled twist.
The studio published an engagement announcement for Emma and Charlie in The Boston Globe. The announcement provided a brief insight into the characters’ backgrounds. According to the announcement, Emma is from Louisiana and is the daughter of a decorated military veteran. She graduated from Boston University in 2017. Charlie, originally from London, has a Ph.D. in Art History from Tufts University and works as the Director of the Cambridge Art Museum in Boston. Potential clues in the announcement include Mr. Harwood’s military background and Emma’s move from Louisiana to Boston, where Charlie was already located.
A24 also launched an official wedding website for Emma and Charlie. The “Our Story” section of the site shares the couple’s meet-cute in a coffee shop and curiously mentions Emma’s burger order.
“…Late-night diner runs where Emma ordered burgers so rare they were practically mooing,” reads the website. Both of these details could be clues and are cited in fan theories.
A24 is being thoughtful about what they reveal. Any press material could be a clue, and fans are treating them as such.
What The Drama’s Plot Twist Could Be
Fans have used these clues to develop several working theories about The Drama. Of the numerous theories circulating the internet, a few are widely accepted.
The first theory is that Emma has a violent past. Some speculate that she once killed or even cannibalized, and her father used his military connections to cover it up. The cannibalism theory—though seemingly outlandish—would explain Emma’s proclivity for practically raw burgers. This theory would also contextualize the shift seen in Charlie throughout the trailer. He appears genuinely afraid of his fiancée. This fear even prompts Emma to sarcastically brandish a knife at Charlie.
One of the most heavily evidenced and widely accepted theories is the school shooting theory. This suggests that a young Emma planned but did not carry out a school shooting. Those who ascribe to this theory reason that Emma’s secret must be horrifying, but ultimately legal. Emma may have had access to firearms due to her father’s military background. This could also explain why she moved from Louisiana all the way to Boston. As further evidence, fans cite casting calls for actors to play high school students in The Drama scenes shot in Louisiana, Emma’s hometown. Further evidence includes the casting of YaYa Gosselin, a young actor who resembles Zendaya.
The stalker theory also has significant traction online. This theory suggests that Emma orchestrated the couple’s “spontaneous” meet-cute and fabricated the start of their relationship. According to the engagement announcement, Emma moved from Louisiana to Boston after Charlie was already studying and working there. In the trailer, Emma admits to her friend that, at thirty, Charlie is her first crush. Perhaps Emma had her first crush at thirty. Or, she harbored a secret infatuation with Charlie years before they met. This theory would mean Charlie must decide if he can forget the lie of their meeting and accept the truth of their love today.
Finally, the aftermath theory suggests that Emma’s secret is a red herring. Here, the twist would be that there is no twist. The focus of the film may be the psychological turmoil and emotional interplay that occurs with any shift in a couple’s perception of each other, particularly when compounded by a stressful event. The secret may be so insignificant that the fallout will remain compelling even if it is never revealed. Again, the film’s synopsis notes that the unexpected turn “sends the week of their wedding off the rails.” According to this theory, The Drama will focus on the fallout and minimize or subvert the secret itself.
Considering the fallout, there is another unanswered question that few fans are asking – that is, will Emma and Charlie still get married? The engagement announcement reads, “Emma Harwood will become the bride of Charlie Thompson on April 3 in Boston, MA.” It does not say that she will become the wife of Charlie Thompson on that day, suggesting that the wedding itself may be disrupted before this point.
There are a myriad of theories about The Drama, but there is only one answer – which will be revealed when the movie debuts on April 3, and audiences are then able to learn the truth.