What It Means For Charlie & Emma's Marriage Addressed By Director

The article contains major spoilers for The Drama ending.

The Drama director Kristoffer Borgli addresses the movie’s ending and what the future could bring for Charlie and Emma’s marriage.

The romantic dramedy, written and directed by Borgli, stars Robert Pattinson and Zendaya as Charlie and Emma, a couple whose impending nuptials are marred by a shocking revelation in the weeks before the big day. Released by A24, The Drama has received positive reviews from critics and has so far grossed $28 million at the box office.

One of the big talking points surrounding the movie is The Drama‘s shocking plot twist that comes about halfway through. During a drinking game in which the characters reveal the worst thing they’ve ever done, Emma reveals that as a teen, she once planned but failed to carry out a school shooting. This revelation leads to spiraling events that threaten the couple’s future.

In an interview with Popcorn Podcast (via The Tab), Borgli weighs in on the movie’s ambiguous ending, which sees the newlyweds sitting in a diner, reintroducing themselves to one another. Despite the dark tone and strain on their relationship following Emma’s reveal and Charlie’s kiss with Misha, Borgli says that “Deep down, I’m a romantic. I’m hopeful. I feel good about their future. But who knows.” He also elaborates the following:

“This is a very personal story. It doesn’t look at the societal level of deciding where your lines are, where the line for unconditional love is. The movie’s exploring more your personal limit and more the limits of how honest and how flawed you can be in your most private life. Publicly is a very different sort of discussion. It’s one that’s too big for me.”

The Drama ends on an ambiguous note, without a definitive resolution to either situation. However, both characters smile at one another as the credits roll, suggesting that, at their core, they are still in love and that Emma is willing to do a restart, despite how deeply Charlie embarrassed her. Borgli’s comments reinforce this idea, and without giving the audience a clear answer, allow them to form their own views on what the future might hold for Charlie and Emma.

Despite the uncertain ending, the chaotic movie has been well-received by audiences, as evidenced by the 80% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The revelation has sparked a lot of discussion, with many defending Emma, while other characters like Charlie and Rachel (Alan Haim) have been called out as hypocrites. Unfortunately, with Charlie finding difficulty accepting Emma’s past actions, it would only make the situation worse, ultimately ruining their happy occasion.

The Drama‘s conclusion is such that the audience isn’t supposed to get the final page of Charlie and Emma’s story. While the couple officially tied the knot, it’s pretty incidental next to the drama that unfolds. It would be interesting to see a sequel, assuming Pattinson and Zendaya’s future schedule allows it, but if there isn’t one, viewers will need to make their minds up about whether Charlie and Emma can get past this.