The plot revolves around one question: “what is the worst thing you have ever done?.”

Emma’s secret shatters the couple as well as the couple’s relationships with the people around them.

With phenomenal casting and an air of mystery surrounding the movie’s plot, I expected this to be nothing short of spectacular.

This feeling was amplified by the fact the promotion for the movie gave us absolutely nothing. Going in, all I really knew was that there’s a wedding, some sort of unforgivable secret destroys said wedding, and Zendaya and Pattison look really good together.

The scant advertisement in this case was definitely necessary. You cannot give too much away about the film without revealing the entire plot and thus ruining the effectiveness of Emma’s secret and the subsequent action surrounding it.

But, in all honesty, I was underwhelmed.

Emma’s big secret was, yes, shocking and macabre, but I think the reactions of Charlie and her friends were grossly inappropriate and extreme. They acted as if she was a malevolent criminal, even though her actions had no actual negative effect on anyone–unlike everyone else, whose deeds caused real-life harm to others.

Throughout the film, the actions of Rachel, played by Alana Haim, annoyed me so much that by the end I wanted to slap her character.

So, the acting was definitely effective. On that note, everyone had an exceptional performance. I felt engrossed in the world of Emma and Charlie the entire time as if I was there, being let in on the secret myself, having to process my feelings about the secret alongside Charlie. I would expect nothing less from a cast made up of such skilled actors.

The rest of the movie itself— the cinematography, the actual characters, the plot, the climax, and the resolution were all just okay.

You don’t learn much about Emma and Charlie, that’s definitely intentional. They’re not really the focus of this movie, Emma’s secret is. Pretty much everything but the reveal of her secret is decent, but not spectacular.

Going back to my own opinion on Emma’s secret, many people who also saw the movie may disagree with me, and that’s okay. That’s actually the point. I think director Kristoffer Borgli created “The Drama” to spark discussions about the topic that’s explored in the film.

It’s taboo and uncomfortable to even think about, much less talk about, but it’s necessary. The way Borgli chose to examine and look into the issue in the film is extremely unique. I hope it encourages people to start conversations about other uneasy topics that may make people feel awkward or uncomfortable.

So, what exactly is Emma’s secret? I’m not going to tell you. You’ll need to go to the theater and find out for yourself.

I suggest going with a couple of friends. The discussions and debates you will have afterwards make it totally worth it, even if I would call the film itself just “okay.” It is a movie-going experience you will definitely not forget. And, with everything going in the world today, you definitely shouldn’t.