The first of three Zendaya-Robert Pattinson starrers this year has arrived. A highly-anticipated, high-concept, twisted romantic-comedy-drama, The Drama really delivers on its promises.

We meet Emma (Zendaya) and Charlie (Robert Pattinson), a happily engaged couple as they make the final arrangements in the week running up to their wedding. The stage is set through flashbacks that offer snapshots of their love story, from meet cute to select hilarious and intimate moments as their relationship progresses. At their final wedding food tasting with friends Mike (Mamoudou Athie) and Rachel (Alana Haim), the conversation turns to the topic of the worst thing each member of the dinner party has done. After variably strange and messed up stories from the others, Emma reveals her secret that blows up their life and the dynamics all round. Both in a panicked spin, Charlie is left to entirely re-evaluate her and their relationship whilst Emma tries to smooth things over in the final days before tying the knot.

This is a film with plenty of bite that isn’t afraid to throw its characters and into dark corners to see how they will react (whilst dragging us along too). It is enthralling and compelling as it takes us down the rabbit hole with Charlie and Emma, somehow managing to be alternately twisted drama and genuinely hilarious (there are some real and clever laugh out loud moments); it keeps you on your toes. Before it all begins to fall apart, the film sets itself up brilliantly, really getting you invested in Charlie and Emma’s relationship. It is told through the prism of conversations between Mike and Charlie as he is writing his groom’s speech, but the editing makes this device feel fresh, and the fact we only get specific snapshots and not a montaged full story (we don’t see the proposal, for example), keeps this away from clichés. Their meet cute and love story get you entirely invested and the zippy pace of the sharp editing helps to bring us up to present day with speed, but without feeling rushed. These are some of the most romantic parts of the piece, with Pattinson even bringing shades of early Hugh Grant, but it doesn’t feel mushy, and the characters already show enough idiosyncrasies and hardened edges to make them feel like real people. All of this is foundational in allowing the rest of the film to play out the way it does; it is the characters, not just the concept, that keep the story compelling.

And then, we reach the dinner scene. Conversation flows before the big reveal, and it feels like real, natural conversation, even as the tone begins to shift and tension slowly builds throughout the scene; the inciting incident for the rest of the film’s plot is built in nicely. The ‘worst things’ claimed by the other members of the party are not all small fry either, which, plus the alcohol and the jovial friendly ‘safe space’ feel of the evening, makes Emma’s decision to reveal her past more believable. Discussions of controversy already abounded this week prior to the film’s release so you may or may not be fully surprised by the revelation that follows, but that doesn’t make it less shocking. The characters have varied reactions to Emma’s confession and they run the gamut depending on their own experiences and their relationship to Emma. Whilst the topic of the twist itself is explored to an extent (and does raise some interesting and disturbing questions and hypotheses), the film uses it more as an example to open the door to questions of how well you really know the people in your life and where would you draw the line with regards to their past behaviour, even if they seem completely different now. It is more of a twisted hypothetical brought to life, and the film does feel as though it can treat it as such as a way of loosening itself from the realities of the topic at hand. It has already proved controversial and will without doubt provoke different reactions from audience members.

We then descend into what feels like a nightmare for both parties, one panicked at the consequences of revealing something from her past, the other at the way it completely recontextualises his relationship and makes him reassess everything he thought he knew about her. We get flashbacks to younger Emma as she explains herself more in-depth, whilst the filmmakers use creativity to illustrate it from Charlie’s perspective. The film doesn’t seem to judge too harshly; it doesn’t try to sway you one way or the other but just really bring you into Charlie’s predicament and the push-pull going on in his mind. All of this rests on the two terrific performances from Zendaya and Pattinson, both fully inhabiting their characters and drawing you fully into The Drama. These are the kind of meaty grown-up roles that are fewer for actors of their generation but both have a talent for seeking them out and fully understanding the film they are in. They are supported by a great cast all-round; there are few key characters that aren’t present at the dinner scene, but those with few scenes really make them count. A particular highlight is a scene with the wedding photographer that is (darkly) hilarious in the context of where it comes in the film.

The film, just, sticks the landing in its climax as it all comes to a head, although its final moments just after seem to feel as though the preceding events have reached a kind of balance that may not entirely sit with all audiences. The entire film is imbued with a unique voice and style that makes it memorable and exciting. Judging from my pretty packed cinema (aside from Wicked, I haven’t seen that many people in a screening for years) and the audible reactions throughout the film, this is the kind of original storytelling that people have been starved of.

Overall, an exciting piece of filmmaking led by two great performances. It is the kind of film sure to prompt conversation, even with the controversy aside, although how you feel about that will surely colour your viewing.