Spoiler alert! The following story contains major details about the plot twist of "The Drama."
Save the date for the most polarizing film of the year.
"The Drama" (in theaters April 3) has been marketed as an offbeat romantic comedy about a woman named Emma (Zendaya) who, during a wine-fueled game with friends, reveals a horrible secret that makes her fiancé, Charlie (Robert Pattinson), question whether he's marrying a sociopath. The unsettling revelation is even darker than anything that Zendaya has been asked to do on her HBO series "Euphoria," and will most certainly shock fans who have been following the A-lister since her Disney Channel and "Spider-Man" days.
Here's everything that parents need to know about "The Drama," and whether it's safe for kids and teens to see:
What is the twist in 'The Drama' movie?
Written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli ("Dream Scenario"), the pitch-black satire follows Emma and Charlie in the week leading up to their wedding. Late one drunken night, she makes the disquieting revelation that at age 15, she was ruthlessly bullied and planned a school shooting. But just as Emma was about to carry out her attack, there was another mass shooting at a local shopping mall that killed a student.
Emma's shaken classmates welcome her in, and she's soon recruited into a gun violence prevention group – effectively burying her brutal inclinations. But when Charlie eventually discovers her past, he's forced to ask himself whether it's OK to wed someone who could even conceive of doing such a terrible thing.
What is 'The Drama' rated?
The film has been rated R by the Motion Picture Association for language, sexual content and some violence.
What age is 'The Drama' appropriate for?
We would have to side with the Motion Picture Association here and advise that you should be 17 or older to see the film. The movie deals with extremely serious subject matter, with multiple flashbacks to a younger version of Emma, who is physically and verbally bullied during high school.
There are sequences of teenage Emma practicing shooting her gun outside, walking around her house with a rifle and filming a suicide manifesto. During the video, she uses explicit language as she lists off the names of her classmates, saying that one girl will be the first to die.
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In an earlier scene, Emma's friend, Rachel (Alana Haim), confesses that she once locked a developmentally disabled kid in a closet and left him there, which prompted a search party to find him. Charlie, too, ultimately gets fed up with Emma and decides to cheat on her with his assistant (Hailey Benton Gates).
"The Drama" is both macabre and morally complex, and could be triggering in a variety of ways for teenagers. If your kid does indeed go see the film, it would be prudent for parents to start a discussion about it and welcome any questions that they might have.
How much sex and nudity are in 'The Drama?'
Zendaya and Robert Pattinson attend the Los Angeles premiere of A24's "The Drama" at DGA Theater Complex on March 17, 2026, in Los Angeles.The romantic comedy, written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli, tells the story of a "happily engaged couple," whose union is "put to the test when an unexpected revelation sends their wedding week off the rails," according to the film's IMDb page." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Zendaya rewears her 2015 white Vivienne Westwood Oscars gown to the 2026 premiere, according to Variety." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Robert Pattinson and Suki Waterhouse" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
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Alana Haim " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
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Kehlani" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Cazzie David" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Coco Jones" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
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Caroline Polachek" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
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Miguel Harichi and Leah Kateb" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Madelaine Petsch" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Robert Pattinson" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Zendaya" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> See Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Kehlani, more at 'The Drama' premiere
ZendayaandRobert Pattinsonattend the Los Angelespremiere of A24's "The Drama"at DGA Theater Complex on March 17, 2026, in Los Angeles.Theromantic comedy, written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli, tells the story of a "happily engaged couple," whose union is "put to the test when an unexpected revelation sends their wedding week off the rails," according to the film'sIMDb page.
The sex scenes themselves are relatively brief. In the opening montage, Charlie enthusiastically describes to his friend, Mike (Mamoudou Athie), how much he likes having sex with Emma, and there is a quick flash of the couple in the throes of passion.
Later, after learning that Emma planned a mass shooting, she starts to slap Charlie's face mid-coitus and he worries that her violent fantasies extend to the bedroom. Charlie masturbates and almost has sex with his assistant at their office, but the encounter is hasty and they remain fully clothed.
And although the images themselves aren't explicit, Charlie at one point does flip through an art book featuring lingerie-clad women holding guns, and he begins to imagine Emma in similarly skimpy garb as she straddles a rifle.
Is there violence in 'The Drama' with Zendaya and Robert Pattinson?
Most of the violence is purely talked about, although Charlie does have grisly stress dreams, of sorts, about Emma as a potential killer. In one nightmarish sequence, she starts bleeding from the ear while they're in the middle of dinner. And in another gruesome moment, there is a frightening shot of dozens of wedding guests covered in blood, with bodies strewn across a banquet hall.
There is also gallows humor. In one scene that's played for laughs, Charlie can't stop fixating on how many times the wedding photographer says she is going to "shoot" their family and friends. Later, as they are having portraits taken, Charlie imagines that he is going on a series of dates with a joyful, teenage Emma.
When will 'The Drama' be released?
"The Drama" will be in theaters on April 3. No streaming release date has been announced yet.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Is 'The Drama' movie OK for all ages? A guide to Zendaya's movie