Robert Pattinson's Nerve-Wracking 105-Minute Psychological Thriller Officially Crowned a #1 Streaming Hit

Published Aug 7, 2026, 12:28 PM EDT

Pattinson is having a strong 2026 after playing the scene-stealing antagonist Antinous in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. One of his co-stars is Zendaya, who is having quite the impressive year herself after starring as Athena in The Odyssey and MJ in Spider-Man: Brand New Day back-to-back. The pair will be reunited later this year in Dune: Part 3, the final entry in Denis Villeneuve's Dune saga. Amid those blockbusters, however, don't miss out on the pair's first hit of 2026. Pattinson and Zendaya joined forces in April for A24's darkly comedic psychological thriller The Drama, and it's currently the number one film on HBO Max, according to FlixPatrol, after landing on the streaming service on July 31.

What is The Drama about?

The Drama follows Charlie (Pattinson) and Emma (Zendaya) in the lead-up to their wedding. While they've been together for a couple of years, they quickly realize that there's still so much they don't know about each other after Charlie and Emma trade secrets with two friends. Marketing for The Drama was careful not to reveal just what damaging secrets these characters hold, and it's best to go into the film blind so the characters' confessions hit with the intended shocking impact.

The bulk of the film traces the fallout between Charlie and Emma once revelations are brought to light as the couple quickly careens toward their wedding night. A chilling psychological examination of a relationship pushed to the brink, The Drama is one of 2026's most invigorating movies.

The Drama's ending, explained

Image: A24

[Ed. note: Spoilers for The Drama follow.]

The Drama has been one of the buzziest movies of the year, and for good reason. Its discussions of morality and how we weigh thoughts versus actions are genuinely thought-provoking, whether you loved The Drama or hated it.

After learning of Emma's past desire to carry out a school shooting, Charlie spirals, questioning if he should go through with the marriage or not. Ultimately, the couple does, but the wedding descends into chaos. Emma worries that Charlie told his coworker her secret, while the coworker's boyfriend learns Charlie tried to sleep with her and promptly beats him up. Emma runs out of the wedding, and Charlie ends up going to their favorite diner alone as the couple had originally intended.

In a way, The Drama has something of a hopeful and kind-hearted ending once the fisticuffs stop. Even after learning Charlie thought the worst of her and tried to cheat on her, Emma still joins him at the diner, where Charlie sits bloodied and disheveled. They've learned each other's tremendously dark secrets (and Emma's is much, much darker), and effectively choose to start over. Acting as if they're meeting for the first time allows the couple to reset their relationship and put the past behind them. (They get a... brand new day, if you will.) While marriage can be challenging, nothing in Charlie and Emma's future together will be as difficult as the week they just went through.