The anti-romantic comedy ‘The Drama!’ from A24 and director Kristoffer Borgli, starring Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, and Alana Haim, has sparked heated debate among audiences and critics alike. The film centers on a couple preparing for their wedding, only to be thrown into crisis by a night of confessions that exposes deep ethical and moral rifts within their friend group. The catalyst: a drinking game where each person reveals the worst thing they’ve ever done. When Emma (Zendaya) admits she once fantasized about a school shooting as a teenager, the group’s reaction is explosive, especially from Rachel (Alana Haim), whose anxiety quickly spreads to Charlie (Pattinson). The fallout reveals not just personal secrets, but the cultural and social divides that shape how we judge one another.
With social media still buzzing over whether Emma’s friends treated her unfairly, RBK Life invited Lacanian psychoanalyst Anna Belchikova to analyze the film’s characters—Emma, Charlie, and Rachel—and shed light on their mental health.
Emma: Not a Monster, But a Human
Emma’s story isn’t about violence—it’s about a fantasy she never acted on. This distinction is crucial: the difference between someone capable of real harm and someone who struggles with inner conflict, shame, guilt, and self-reflection. Psychopaths lack these feelings; neurotic individuals, like Emma, are defined by them. Her adolescent fantasy was a way of grappling with powerful impulses during a vulnerable stage of development. As Freud described, every drive contains a hint of destructiveness, and Lacan called this ‘jouissance’—a dangerous pleasure that can surface in risky behaviors. Teenagers, whose minds and bodies are still synchronizing, often struggle to manage these impulses.
Charlie’s theory that Emma’s fantasy was triggered by witnessing a friend’s death as a child is plausible, echoing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) logic. PTSD symptoms, like recurring nightmares, reflect the mind’s attempt to process trauma that hasn’t been fully integrated into one’s worldview. Emma’s attempt to revisit her brush with death may be her way of seeking closure. Yet, as the psychoanalyst notes, the key is that Emma never acted on her fantasy. For neurotic people, the fantasy itself provides a kind of satisfaction, but the desire to make it real is absent. When Emma finally shares her secret, she experiences anxiety and physical symptoms—signs that her trauma is still unresolved. Still, her ability to form relationships, become an activist, and move forward shows resilience. Her psyche is flexible, and she doesn’t fixate on the past. She’s able to talk about her experience openly and ask others to move on, indicating a healthy capacity for self-processing rather than pathology.
Charlie: The Male Neurotic
Charlie is perhaps the film’s most complex character. He’s confronted with someone who crosses boundaries he himself is afraid to approach. Working in a museum—a symbol of culture’s role in taming our drives—Charlie is reserved and awkward, struggling to reconcile his own desires. When he sees a photo book of women posing with guns, he imagines Emma in a similar pose, blurring the lines between sexual and destructive impulses. Unlike Emma, Charlie is out of touch with his own drives, and when confronted with them, he’s overwhelmed. He tries and fails to have sex with a colleague, his fantasy of Emma shattered. His wedding speech, meant to objectify and idealize Emma, is his way of making intimacy possible. When this fantasy collapses, so does his ability to function in relationships. In the film’s final moments, Emma suggests they ‘start over,’ and Charlie’s willingness to play along hints at the possibility of growth—if he can process what’s happened, their relationship may survive.
Rachel: The Face of Sadism
Rachel’s reaction to Emma’s confession is deeply personal and tinged with a kind of sadistic pleasure. She seems to relish the opportunity to punish and judge, her facial expressions betraying a mix of delight and disgust. Rachel initiated the confessional game, and when she prompts her husband to share a shameful story, she appears to savor his discomfort. This dynamic mirrors the appeal of true crime content—a fascination with others’ transgressions that borders on the sadistic.
Who’s Mentally Healthy?
Charlie is thrown by his own desires, acting impulsively and anxiously. Rachel, convinced of her own moral superiority, becomes cruel and judgmental. Only Emma, who processes her old trauma and moves forward, demonstrates true psychological resilience. She acknowledges her shame, but doesn’t let it define her. She’s found a way to live with her past, while her friends remain stuck in theirs.
