The year is 2026 and writer/director Kristoffer Borgli (Dream Scenario) is back to terrify audiences with his horrifying social commentary that extends far past the marriage dynamic and how society as a whole has accepted something so heinous that it doesn’t even feel like a big deal anymore. The Drama is not a movie for the faint of heart; the reality that we are seemingly living in is truly disturbing and Borgli doesn’t shy away from the realities that plague society now. The cast at play here is excellent, but society has latched onto certain aspects for worse and has created the wrong conversation, but, maybe in hindsight, that is truly what the movie is about — the lesser “issue” becomes the bigger talking point because we don’t want to admit what the issue actually is.
The Drama focuses on Emma and Charlie (Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, respectively) as they’re about to get married. Everything is lovely, they’re madly in love, there really are no obstacles or issues; it’s ideal and their wedding is going to be magnificent. Before their wedding, they get together with Charlie’s Best Man, Mike (Mamoudou Athie), and his wife, Rachel (Alana Haim), to have some drinks, talk, and what not, and decide to play a game their hosts did before they got married.
*** SPOILERS***
THE DRAMA digipak interior. Photo courtesy of A24.
They reveal they should all say the worst thing they’ve ever done before they get married to, essentially, make sure they don’t marry the wrong person. It’s a weird game, but how horrible can things really be? This is where The Drama starts to get interesting, Charlie is obviously having different thoughts now, not knowing if he can go through with the wedding, but is conflicted. Rachel wants nothing to do with Emma anymore, and Mike is trying to stay in the middle. It becomes a tense environment about how far love can go to forgive something unforgivable, where the line is, and social commentary. The majority of The Drama seems to villainize Rachel as she went through with what she did and Emma almost gets a slap on the wrist because she didn’t literally pull the trigger. This plot is going to disgust most people, some will just go with it while others will be completely turned off of the movie because of it.
THE DRAMA digipak exterior. Photo courtesy of A24.
Now, let’s get into the home release of this Kristoffer Borgli feature. For North American audiences, A24 is gatekeeping their 4K as an exclusive to their own label. So, if you want the 4K, the only way to obtain it is from A24 direct or any retailer that carries the A24 line of movies — this isn’t something new, either. The 4K UHD edition continues the trend of uniformity with its simplistic and beautiful digipak design, a nice edition to an A24 shelf. The 4K disk itself is presented in 2160p and, with The Drama itself actually shot on film, this presentation allows it to breathe as much as possible and allows all the extra details to be present and shine brightly throughout the feature. The presentations in HDR and Dolby Vision are truly vibrant, allowing more colors to pop. The opening scene of the movie in the coffee shop shows this off immediately as there are more prominent whites and natural colors, but there is a slight yellow tone to them, as well, the production design and details shining through more brightly and vibrantly than from the theatrical presentation. Having seen it twice in theatres and once at home, I was able to appreciate more small details in just the overall design and production value watching it on the 4K than I was in a theatre. The 4K just allows more moments to pop, like Charlie and Emma’s first encounter and when they realized they were in love with each other (the museum scene, specifically), the bright loud colors getting to flourish and truly show off how brilliant the design is.
For the sound presentation in The Drama, there isn’t much to talk about, unfortunately. The Drama isn’t necessarily a movie that relies heavily on soundtrack or score, so while there is a Dolby Atmos track (which seems to be the norm for the A24 releases) there isn’t a need for anything boastful. However, Daniel Pemberton’s (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse) score is still magnificent. The highlight of the 4K edition is truly the presentation as the movie is not sound heavy, but the Atmos is always a nice added touch.
In terms of special features, there is a commentary track with costume designer Katina Danabassis (Past Lives), production designer Zosia Mackenzie (Infinity Pool), and co-editor Joshua Raymond Lee (The Amazing Spider-Man 2), that is interesting to listen to after you’ve seen the movie so you can digest the movie fully once. I would’ve preferred a commentary with Kristoffer, but alas. There is also a wardrobe and camera test with Danabassis, the “relationship hotline” promo, which was uploaded to YouTube for promotional help where Zendaya, Pattinson, Haim and Athie all gave relationship advice. It’s a fun little feature, but not something new or exclusive. Lastly, there is the Charlie and Emma wedding video, and six collectible postcards illustrated by Kristina Tzekova. While there are some new features, some are carried over from the A24 YouTube page for promotion for the release of the movie itself, but owning them physically is always a nice added touch.
L-R: Actor Zendaya, writer/director Kristoffer Borgli, and actor Robert Pattinson on the set of THE DRAMA. Photo Credit: Jaclyn Martinez. Photo courtesy of A24.
While getting a 2026 release that was shot on film but did not feature heavy special features on 4K from a boutique label may be a little bit of a price spike, the presentation, inclusions, and overall quality are worth the extra dollars to add The Drama to the shelf. The art cards are a nice addition, as well, as that seems to be the majority of what some other “special editions” include from other labels.
The Drama 4K UHD Special Features:
- Commentary with Costume Designer Katina Danabassis, Production Designer Zosia Mackenzie, and Co-editor Joshua Raymond Lee
- Wardrobe & Camera Test with Commentary by Katina Danabassis
- Relationship hotline promo
- Charlie & Emma Wedding Video
- Six Collectible Postcards illustrated by Kristina Tzekova
Available on 4K UHD and Blu-ray July 7th, 2026.
For more information, head to the official A24 The Drama webpage.
To purchase, head to the official A24 Shop The Drama webpage.
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Categories: Home Video, Reviews
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