Studio: A24
Release Date: 7/7/2026
Rating: R
Film Grade: C+
The Story: Emma and Charlie are about to embark on their journey through life as they make their final preparations for their momentous wedding day. While sampling and finalizing their dinner menu options with friends at the venue, one innocently proposes a game, “What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?” It turns out that’s not a fun exercise, especially after multiple glasses of wine, as it reveals a secret that threatens to derail all of their plans.
My Take: This is a really tough movie to classify. It’s neither rom-com nor thriller. It’s not a straight up drama, either. Instead, it’s an exploration of how one’s dark past can, or should, be viewed in the present. I’m not going to reveal the secret in question but will say that it’s a socially topical one. And, while characters express strong feelings around it, it’s from their perspective, keeping this from being a message movie. And that’s kind of a problem. Considering how serious the topic is, it creates a schism with the more frivolous tone of the film.
A24 is well known for bringing different voices to the screen and they’ve joined with writer/director/co-editor Kristoffer Borgli (Dream Scenario) for this unusual movie. While I really like what he did with that earlier film, The Drama feels much more restrained and conventional. He again uses memories, dreams, and imaginary sequences here, but they aren’t of the wild and bizarre type; they’re much more grounded in the past and present and used to give us a glimpse of characters’ inner thoughts. This works, even if it occasionally leads the audience to wonder if what’s being shown is real or fantasy.
The film races along, as the disclosure happens just days before the big event. Thus, a flurry of activity ensues. This feels very accurate, as there are so many things that need to be planned and settled that one can understand the additional pressure that the couple undergoes. But in that rush, some nuance gets lost that could have added additional depth and impact to the story.
One of the themes that comes through is the tendency for people to both over and under share. So, while drinking may have loosened some lips, allowing too much information to slip out, a follow-up free exchange could have prevented some future problems. It also doesn’t help that Charlie and Emma’s romance started with a lie. He introduces himself by telling her how much he loved the book she’s reading, even though he had never heard of it. This is good insight to his character, as his awkward charm is just, barely, enough to skate by. At least initially.
Looking past any shortcomings in the story, Borgli does a great job with the cast, pulling off some tricky situations. I haven’t been impressed with Zendaya’s performances in the past, but she shows good range here in the complicated role of Emma, which was an unexpectedly pleasant surprise. Likewise, Robert Pattinson gives the part of Charlie a bit of nervous underpinning that feels authentic. Alana Haim and Mamoudou Athie work well as the couple’s close friends that are instrumental to the startling revelation and aftermath. There are even some small bit parts that shine, such as the energetic photographer and one of the DJs. Even the waitress during the tasting offers a good performance, mostly through body language, as she tires of the couple’s indecision. The one actor that didn’t work for me was Jordan Curet as young Emma. There wasn’t anything wrong with her performance, but the lack of resemblance to Zendaya disrupted the continuity for me.
There’s a moment that demonstrates the difference between editing for a movie theater experience versus watching at home. A character opens a cabinet door to reveal a mug, but the camera only holds the shot for about four frames. It’s long enough to recognize that there’s writing on it, but not long enough for all of the words to register. At virtually the same time, my wife and I both said, “Wait, what did that say?” So, I paused the movie, rewound it to freeze on the frame, which required a few tries, finally giving us the chance to read it. That was for naught, since the mug is discovered later by another person, and the film holds that shot for a number of seconds, making the writing clear. Had this been in the theater, we would have been forced to wait for the answer, but at home we couldn’t resist the temptation to rewind. For what it’s worth, I don’t understand the director/editor intent in this case, since delaying the reveal added nothing.
Visuals: Shot on 35mm film, grain is evident but not prominent. The cinematography shows off the fall surroundings and captures the natural colors of the outside world and varied interiors, often looking like they were lit by available sunlight. That includes some beautiful pictures of the wedding venue, along with the realistic set dressing of Charlie and Emma’s apartment. Skin tones are wonderfully rendered. This is a good-looking movie and disc.
Audio: This is an interesting sound mix. I couldn’t find any scenes that passed my bird test. Tops are almost exclusively used for the film’s score, with only occasional environmental uses, such as the overhead speakers in a diner. Conversely, wides are heavily used. This ranges from music (especially the pop tunes) to environmental sounds. They’re even used for dialog, which isn’t always anchored to the center channel yet always remains clear. The subs also get a surprising amount of attention for this kind of movie, seeing action from the start of the film as it’s used to reveal something key about a character.
The score by Daniel Pemberton (Masters of the Universe, Project Hail Mary, Eddington) predominately consists of three flutes often tooting out short bursts of a few notes. As the movie progresses, they’re given some more room, creating a swirling feeling while being supplemented with some synth bass to add some anxiety. There’s a good fake out where we hear what would be considered a sweeping romantic orchestral melody that turns out to just be the DJ testing some music.
On the whole, this is well above average for this type of movie.
Special Features: In an unusual move, the commentary track is from some of the secondary workers on the film. Some of it is interesting, but the discussions about different designer clothes and art prints were lost on me. The making of featurette has some additional details to it, but it isn’t overly in depth.
- Commentary with Costume Designer Katina Danabassis, Production Designer Zosia Mackenzie, & Co-editor Joshua Raymond Lee
- “Unpacking the Drama” Making-of Featurette
- Wardrobe & Camera Test with Commentary by Katina Danabassis
- “Relationship Hotline” Promo
- Charlie & Emma Wedding Video
- Set of six collectible postcards illustrated by Kristina Tzekova
Final Verdict: This is an unusual movie from an unconventional director. In the review of
Dream Scenario, I wrote that I was eagerly awaiting his next picture, but this isn’t what I would have expected. The wild strangeness of that earlier film is replaced by a much more conventional outing, albeit with some extremely awkward incidents and exchanges. This may make it more suitable for general audiences, although the controversial reveal may alienate them as well.
It’s worth checking out if you’re looking for something that’s not run of the mill, but not prepared to go for the all-out wildness of Dream Scenario. And, if you’re a Zendaya or Pattinson fan, you’ll want to see their performances since these aren’t their typical roles.
Fun Fact: There is a quick shot during a montage that is a tribute to David Lynch.
Warning: There is an expletive in the trailer, so this is not safe for work.
This review was written by a human without the use of AI.My Review System:JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
Elite Screens Sable Frame B2 117” Width with Infinitely Variable Height
Monolith by Monoprice HTP-1 16 Channel Processor with Dirac Live
Monolith by Monoprice 7x200 Watts Amp
Monolith by Monoprice 3x200 Watts + 6x100 Watts Amp
JBL Studio 590 for Left, Center, Right, Wides, and Rears
JBL Studio 580 for Side Surrounds
JBL Studio SCS 8 for Tops
JTR Captivator 1400 Subwoofer X 4
Panasonic DP-UB420 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
NVIDIA Shield Android TV - 4K
Xbox One X
HTPC Running madVR (work in progress)
Remote: URC MX-780
Mini DSP 2X4 HD controlling all subwoofers
APC S15 Power Conditioner with Battery Backup
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