Kristoffer Borgli is coming off “Dream Scenario,” starring an amusing Nicolas Cage, and he’s now teamed up again with A24, adding two very big actors into the mix, for “The Drama”.
“The Drama” stars Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, and it’s already generating great buzz according to multiple sources in attendance at an ultra-private tight-lipped screening in the East Coast last night.
People are calling this a huge leap for Kristoffer Borgli, easily his boldest and most provocative work yet. There’s a pivotal moment in the film that transforms the story, which had the entire room shifting in their seats. It crosses a line most movies wouldn’t dare.
I was asked not to spoil specifics, and I get why. Part of the impact is not knowing what’s coming. But trust me: “The Drama” is going to light up festival chatting, and thinkpieces for months. It’s being described to me as a “very uncomfortable” watch, but with a major dose of sardonic humor.
What can be confirmed: “The Drama” centers on a couple, played by Pattinson and Zendaya, whose relationship takes an … unexpected turn right before their wedding day. Aided by Borgli’s “nasty” and “brilliant” screenplay is Pattinson who is said to deliver career-best work here. He pushes his acting skills to the edge as he portrays an ordinary British man caught up in an extraordinary situation.
While a release date has yet to be announced, I wouldn’t be surprised if the film gets positioned for a fall festival debut, with Venice, Telluride, and TIFF among the likely contenders.
For Borgli, a filmmaker filled with potential, and whose sophomore effort, 2022’s “Sick of Myself,” premiered at Cannes, “The Drama” marks his most high-profile film yet, with two of the most in-demand actors in Hollywood leading the cast. Keep a close eye on this one.