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 young American woman named Emma is enjoying at a café in Massachusetts.

His attempt to flirt wasn’t very smooth – he was quite clumsy, and she had trouble hearing him. Despite that, they quickly started dating, moved in together, and eventually found themselves writing speeches for their wedding.

Okay, so picture this: it’s totally a plot ripped straight from a classic 90s rom-com, like something Hugh Grant would stumble through as the adorably awkward lead! But from the very beginning of ‘The Drama,’ you just know things aren’t going to be easy for these characters. The title itself hints at it – it’s not going to be a simple, straightforward love story, that’s for sure! It’s going to be messy, complicated, and I am living for it!

Kristoffer Borgli, the Norwegian filmmaker behind the critically 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 plays Charlie, excels at portraying complex, brooding characters – a skill he recently showcased in Lynne Ramsay’s 2025 film, Die My Love, where he depicted someone in a troubled relationship. Charlie provides him with plenty of material to explore that same depth and intensity.

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 most regrettable mistakes.

I’ll try not to give anything away, but Emma reveals something deeply troubling about a common problem in America – something that contradicts its claim to be the world’s leading nation. Rachel is particularly shocked, though her judgment feels a bit unfair considering her own flaws. Personally, I found Rachel’s past actions more disturbing than what Emma confessed.

Let’s talk about navigating tough revelations in relationships. I’ve been seeing a lot of chatter about this storyline with Emma, and it’s really hitting a nerve. It’s so painful when you learn something shocking about someone you care about – something from their past that feels completely at odds with who they are now. Emma’s really struggling with this, practically begging to just move past it, insisting that person she was isn’t who she is today. It’s a natural reaction, wanting to protect the present, but it’s also incredibly difficult for the other person to just ‘forget’ something so impactful. It’s a delicate situation that requires real communication and understanding.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve seen firsthand how easily past mistakes can come back to haunt us. It’s a really relevant point because these days, it feels like old issues – things people did years ago – are constantly being brought to light, damaging reputations and even ruining relationships. We’re living in a time where the past isn’t staying buried, and that has huge implications for how we navigate life.

Should every mistake always be addressed, or are there times when it’s okay to let things slide – particularly when no one gets hurt? The story doesn’t push this question directly, but it lingers in the background.

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 to fix things.

He’s an art gallery curator who subtly brings up Emma’s story to a coworker, which creates even more problems. A single moment of honesty, and everything falls apart.

But was it wrong to ask? That’s what this thought-provoking movie really makes you wonder. If you’re building a life with someone, are you entitled to know about secrets 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 is surprisingly layered, offering different experiences depending on how you approach it. Viewers might interpret it as a gripping psychological drama, or a cleverly rebellious romantic comedy – and it successfully works as both.

The show occasionally feels overly dramatic, and the frequent vomiting scenes 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 to see who can do it best. It’s gotten to the point where you half expect an award for the most creative vomiting scene.

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

I was also drawn to the idea behind Fuze, and I really admire the director, David Mackenzie – his film Hell or High Water (2016) is fantastic. That gave me a positive first impression.

Construction workers in London unearthed a bomb believed to be from World War II. The situation quickly became critical as Aaron Taylor-Johnson, playing an army bomb disposal expert, was called in to defuse it. Simultaneously, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, as a police officer, coordinated the urgent evacuation of everyone nearby.

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

Fuze had the potential to be a really gripping 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, awkward attempt at humor at the end. It left me so distrustful that I even questioned the sincerity of the cinema worker wishing me a good night.

All films reviewed are in cinemas now.

 

Also showing…

The world of Super Mario is wonderfully strange. From the very beginning, it’s been full of oddities – like mushrooms that talk, aggressive turtles, and two plumbers with impressive mustaches who happen to rescue princesses as a hobby. They even coordinate their outfits with different colours!

This new animated Mario movie, following the huge success of the first one in 2023, takes things in an even stranger direction – it goes 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), which adds some truly bizarre elements to the story, like talking stars, planets that are rollercoasters, and a cool, quick-witted fox.

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

When the movie is at its weakest – like when it quickly cuts between Mario and Peach escaping dangerous traps and showing off old-fashioned gameplay from the early 90s – it feels strangely unpleasant, almost like a frustrating cartoon.

The movie throws a lot at you – bright colors, sparkles, and references to Nintendo games. But 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 Peach is away, you can tell the filmmakers genuinely care about the source material and want 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.

PETER HOSKIN  

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2026-04-21 05:24