BRIAN VINER on The Drama: Like a Richard Curtis romcom, with a wickedly dark heart

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Verdict: Irresistibly naughty 

Verdict: Too twisty by half 

Charlie, a slightly awkward but attractive Englishman with floppy hair and glasses, tries to act like he’s read the book a beautiful American woman named Emma is enjoying at a café in Massachusetts.

His attempt to flirt wasn’t very smooth – he was a bit clumsy, and she had trouble hearing – but somehow, they started dating. Before long, they were living together and even writing their wedding speeches.

The story feels like a classic 1990s romantic comedy, practically starring Hugh Grant as the lovable, clumsy lead. However, even from the beginning, the title itself hints that this love story won’t be easy or straightforward.

Kristoffer Borgli, the Norwegian filmmaker behind the acclaimed dark comedy Sick of Myself (2022), is the writer and director.

And one of the producers is Ari Aster, another specialist in dark comedy, not to mention horror.

Robert Pattinson, who recently starred in Lynne Ramsay’s Die My Love (2025) as a character in a troubled relationship, gives a particularly strong performance as Charlie. Pattinson excels at playing characters with inner turmoil, and Charlie provides him with plenty of that.

The week before their wedding, Charlie and Emma (played by Zendaya, who is excellent) have dinner with their closest friends, Rachel (Alana Haim) and Mike (Mamoudou Athie). After a few glasses of wine, the four friends impulsively confess their biggest mistakes.

I’ll try not to give anything away, but Emma reveals something deeply troubling about American society – a flaw that contradicts its claims of being the best country in the world. Rachel is particularly shocked, though her judgment feels a bit hypocritical. Personally, I found Rachel’s own past actions more disturbing.

Charlie is deeply upset to learn about a dark secret in Emma’s past, which has been hinted at through flashbacks. Emma desperately asks Charlie to let it go, arguing that she’s changed and the person she used to be is no longer who she is.

This argument feels especially relevant today, as we constantly see past mistakes and wrongdoings being revealed, damaging people’s reputations and harming their connections with others.

Honestly, it’s been bugging me ever since I finished watching! Should everything be a huge deal, or is it okay to just let some things slide, especially when no one gets hurt? The show doesn’t beat you over the head with it, but it’s this constant, nagging question that just stays with you, pulsing underneath everything that happens. I can’t stop thinking about it!

Charlie tried his hardest to convince his fiancée that his feelings hadn’t changed and that he still loved her, but it was too late – the hurt had already set in.

He’s an art gallery curator who subtly brings up Emma’s story to a coworker, which creates more problems. A single moment of being too honest threatens to reveal everything.

But was it wrong to ask? That’s what this thought-provoking movie really makes you consider. If you’re building a life with someone, are you entitled to know about things from their past that could reveal a hidden weakness?

Either way, we have our own family wedding next month; my daughter’s getting married.

Expecting this event to be better than Emma and Charlie’s is a really low expectation.

Borgli’s film offers layers of meaning, adapting to how much the viewer wants to explore. It can be experienced as a gripping psychological drama or a playfully rebellious romantic comedy—and it successfully works as both.

The show occasionally feels overly dramatic, and the frequent scenes of vomiting were unnecessary. It seems like every week, another character on TV or in a movie throws up – it’s almost become a trend, like they’re competing for an award for the most realistic depiction of it.

But it is smartly written and directed, splendidly acted, and the premise is irresistibly naughty.

I was really drawn to the idea behind Fuze, and I’m a huge admirer of the director, David Mackenzie – he made the fantastic film Hell or High Water in 2016. That immediately made me interested.

Construction workers in London discovered a bomb believed to be from World War II. The situation became critical when an army expert, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, was called in to disarm it, while Gugu Mbatha-Raw, as a police officer, coordinated the evacuation of everyone nearby.

Meanwhile, a group of thieves, headed by a South African diamond smuggler named Theo James, is taking advantage of the evacuation to break into a bank vault.

Fuze had the potential to be a really exciting thriller if the writer, Ben Hopkins, had simply told the two main stories side-by-side. Unfortunately, the plot becomes overly complicated with endless twists, betrayals, and a forced comedic ending. It all left me feeling distrustful, even of the friendly cinema worker who wished me a good night as I left.

All films reviewed are in cinemas now.

 

Also showing…

The world of Super Mario is wonderfully strange. It’s always been that way – with talking mushrooms, aggressive turtles, and two plumbers known for their mustaches who wear matching outfits and constantly save princesses from stories.

This new animated Mario movie follows up on the huge success of the first one from 2023, but takes things in a surprisingly strange direction – this time, into outer space! Mario (Chris Pratt), Luigi (Charlie Day), and Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) must save Princess Rosalina (Brie Larson) from Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie), leading to even more bizarre elements like talking stars, planets that are like rollercoasters, and a cool, quick-witted fox.

It’s tough for any movie to handle a lot of new concepts, characters, and settings, especially a shorter film made for children. That’s definitely the case with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (PG, 98 minutes, HHIII).

When the movie is at its most frustrating, like when it quickly cuts between Mario and Peach escaping dangerous traps and showing off old-fashioned gameplay from the early 1990s, it feels needlessly painful to watch.

The movie is visually overwhelming with lots of bright colors, glitter, and references to Nintendo games. However, when it slows down and focuses on a single idea for a bit – like the opening scene where Mario and Luigi protect the Mushroom Kingdom while Princess Peach is away – you can tell the filmmakers genuinely care about the source material and are trying to create something enjoyable for viewers.

And then there’s the main villain, Bowser – even though he’s a huge, spiky turtle monster, you can still tell it’s Jack Black doing his voice, which is fantastic.

His weirdness, at least, fits right into this weird universe.

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2026-04-03 01:54