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A24’s The Drama Divides Critics Over Its Handling of Gun Violence

A spoiler-light rollout that hid key story turns sharpened the reaction.

Overview

  • The film, directed by Kristoffer Borgli and starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, follows a couple in the tense days before their wedding with a dark, provocative tone.
  • Debate has centered on a concealed plot device tied to gun violence, with March For Our Lives criticizing the project and reviewers questioning how the subject is used.
  • A24 asked critics not to publish spoilers before release, a request the Washington Post’s critic called a dirty trick because of the sensitive material involved.
  • Some reviewers argue the movie uses its shocking reveal to examine forgiveness and commitment rather than make a political point, casting it as a study of marriage under strain.
  • Others denounce it as manipulative or shallow about race, citing critiques in the New Yorker, New York Magazine, and Bloomberg, even as Zendaya’s performance draws wide praise.