Dangle a movie in front of us that mentions the names Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, and A24 and we'll book a movie ticket without even seeing the trailer. In the case of The Drama, we were planning our cinema visit long before the film started taking shape beyond mere rumours. When the trailer did eventually drop, however, it became clear we were in for something intense. Zendaya and Robert play a soon-to-be-betrothed couple, Emma and Charlie, whose wedding plans are rocked when Emma admits to something terrible from her past. What, exactly, she has done, remains a mystery to the audience — at least in the trailer. What we do know, however, is that it's bad enough to elicit some horrified reactions from those closest to her, and to make the week leading up to their wedding extremely stressful.

Now, The Drama has officially landed, and early reactions are similarly divisive. Some viewers are completely seduced by its ambiguity, praising the film’s refusal to spell anything out and leaning into the volatile chemistry between Zendaya and Pattinson. The overarching takeaway is that we were right to be captivated by the trailer, and the film itself contains one of the biggest plot twists ever committed to a rom-com.

This is, after all, an A24 release, so we're not surprised that The Drama steers away from being easily categorised.  The production house is also famous for not shying away from risk. So, has that risk paid off this time around? And how, exactly, has The Drama been received?  The best, strangest and most cutting reviews are already circulating, of course, on Letterboxd. We're bringing you our favourites, below.

Want more like The Drama? Lucky for you, there's plenty more where that came from, all in the A24 universe. We're breaking down every new release coming from the cutting-edge film company in 2026, from The Backrooms to Mother Mary. You're welcome.