The Drama unfolds like a wound that refuses to close. Beneath the central conflict, the film is ultimately about feelings–how it accumulates, how it fractures relationships, and how forgiveness, when it appears, is never simple, clean, or complete.
Starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson as the lead couple, you would almost certainly believe it was just a romantic comedy. Instead, director Kristoffer Borgli takes viewers on a wild emotional rollercoaster, and the A24 production quality gives it a campy vibe. I will not lie, you will either love the artistry of the movie or feel so uncomfortable you will want to walk out of the theater–I felt both.
It begins as a meet-cute between Charlie (Pattinson) and Emma (Zendaya); he approaches her in a coffee shop, and pretends to have read the book she is reading. She doesn’t hear him, because she has an Airpod in her left ear and, as she shares later in the film, is deaf in the right ear.
Charlie's awkwardness persists, leading to a reset, as Emma asks “Should we start over?”
It’s a charming moment, but it holds deeper value. The idea of starting over becomes a recurring motif, evolving from flirtation into something far more unsettling as the narrative progresses.
The drama begins at a rehearsal dinner, with Mike (Mamoudou Athie, a coward if you ask me) and Rachel (Alana Haim, playing a character that I interpreted as a strawberry stain on a white t-shirt). The two are also married, and good friends with Charlie and Emm. They also serve as the best man and maid of honor, despite them both being Charlie’s friends first.
The four drunkenly play a “What’s the Worst Thing You’ve Ever Done?” game, with the revelation designed to destroy the facade of a “perfect relationship.” The game begins to make the audience question the morals of our once-beloved characters, Charlie, Mike and Rachel.
But as Emma shares her secret, it’s like a scratch in the metaphorical record. The scene plays out in an outrage, Rachel yelling, Mike trying to calm her down, Charlie backing away from the table, and Emma so sick she pukes. The immediate cut to an awkward aftermath leaves the audience in an uncomfortable skin.
Yet, you must not forget that Charlie and Emma’s wedding is just days away. As the film persists we see how their relationship strains and from then on the story follows Charlie, and how he explores this new information about Emma’s past. Through insecurity and (words for when you use comedy as a coping/defense mechanism), Charlie and Emma’s paranoia against one another spiral out of control. This story unfolds in such an awkward and raw manner that the audience grasps at the heartfelt, romantic moments.
Alas, not everything is resolved within the 1 hour, 46 minute duration. Leaving me in my seat frustrated, confused, and ultimately empathetic. Unfortunately there isn't much left to say without spoiling the movie, but I hope viewers sit with the same inquiry I had; If you truly love someone, can you forgive their past actions, whether they acted on it or not?
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