She survived two school shootings. New rom-com ‘The Drama’ is no laughing matter
She survived two school shootings. New rom-com ‘The Drama’ is no laughing matter
Patrick Ryan, USA TODAYFri, April 3, 2026 at 11:01 AM UTC
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Warning: This story contains graphic descriptions that some readers may find disturbing, as well as major plot details for "The Drama."
Mia Tretta has always loved romantic comedies.
It’s why for the past few months, she was anxiously anticipating “The Drama” (in theaters April 3), a new film starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson as a couple who gets cold feet after one’s dark secret comes to light.
But Tretta’s excitement turned to dismay in recent weeks, after the movie’s big twist leaked online: Zendaya’s character, Emma, planned a school shooting at 15, although she never carried out the attack after another mass shooting foiled her plot.
1 / 0See Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Kehlani, more at 'The Drama' premiere
Zendaya and Robert Pattinson attend the Los Angeles premiere of A24's "The Drama" at DGA Theater Complex on March 17, 2026, in Los Angeles.The romantic comedy, written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli, tells the story of a "happily engaged couple," whose union is "put to the test when an unexpected revelation sends their wedding week off the rails," according to the film's IMDb page.
“It was very shocking,” says Tretta, 21, a Brown University student and gun violence prevention advocate working with Everytown. “I started hearing it wasn’t this silly rom-com that it was being advertised as, but something much darker and related to my life.”
Everytown reports that more than 4,400 kids under the age of 19 in the United States are killed by gun violence and an additional 17,000 are wounded. Tretta was one of them. She was shot in the stomach during a 2019 shooting at her high school in Santa Clarita, California, which killed two of her classmates and wounded two others. Last December, she survived another mass shooting at Brown, which killed two students and injured nine.
“A character planning a school shooting isn’t something that should be joked about – it’s a reality that me and hundreds of thousands of others live every day,” Tretta says. “After experiencing this, there’s a panic that rushes through me whenever somebody drops a book in the library. Even the title of the film being ‘The Drama.' A school shooting is not girls gossiping in class or stealing someone else’s boyfriend ‒ it’s real people’s nightmares.”
'The Drama' fought to keep its dark plot twist under wraps
Mia Tretta, a Brown University student and school shooting survivor, speaks at a press conference at the Rhode Island state house in February 2025.
A24, which is distributing “The Drama,” has gone to great lengths to keep the twist under wraps in the leadup to release: advising journalists at advanced screenings to please “refrain from spoiling” until “everyone has a chance to see.” Zendaya and Pattinson’s interviews, too, have primarily been lighthearted chats about relationship advice and their personal friendship.
The theme of the press tour has been matrimonial bliss, from Zendaya's bridal red-carpet looks to the feverish speculation around her possible wedding to longtime partner, "Spider-Man" actor Tom Holland. She and costar Alana Haim even surprised couples at a Las Vegas chapel. (USA TODAY has reached out to A24 for comment.)
Playing coy about such a horrific storyline is irresponsible, says Dr. Brad Bushman, a professor of communication at The Ohio State University, who has conducted extensive research about the effects of violent media on young people. Because gun violence has been left out of the marketing, viewers may be caught off guard and exposed to this content involuntarily.
Charlie (Robert Pattinson, left) starts to see Emma (Zendaya) in a whole new light after learning about her dark past.
For somebody walking into the movie theater blind, “it could definitely be triggering,” Bushman says. “It’s a very sensitive topic for many people, and I worry that such [films] could glorify mass shootings and treat them as no big deal.”
Movies like “The Drama” run the “very strong likelihood of resurfacing very real fears, particularly for viewers whose lives have been directly impacted by gun violence, and who may not be aware of the key plot elements in advance,” says Jackie Corin, cofounder and executive director of March For Our Lives. “For those who have experienced a gun crime firsthand or lost or nearly lost a loved one, the trauma that comes with it is permanent and can resurface at any time.”
'Mass shootings are no laughing matter'
A horrific secret drives a wedge between Charlie (Robert Pattinson, left) and Emma (Zendaya) in the days before their wedding.
“The Drama” satirizes America’s obsession with guns, and how a bullied Emma parades around with her father’s rifle to appear “cool." There is a disturbing scene of her filming a suicide manifesto, and a chilling dream featuring bloodied bodies at a wedding. The movie doesn't fully grapple with Emma's mental health issues, and the character never receives therapy to our knowledge.
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Many films and TV shows have used humor to address gun violence, including Spike Lee’s “Chi-Raq,” Michael Moore’s “Bowling for Columbine,” and a 2018 episode of “South Park.” Other series, such as “Heathers” and “The Carmichael Show,” had mass shooting episodes pulled because of tragic real-life events.
According to a study published by the Annenberg Public Policy Center last year, the rate of firearm violence in popular movies increased 200% from 2001 to 2021. That closely parallels the rise in gun-related deaths in young people over the same period.
“Undoubtedly, there is a potential benefit to Hollywood sparking conversations around gun violence and mental health, especially by using satire as the vehicle, because it remains absurd that these issues are treated so flippantly by politicians who have sworn to protect us,” Corin says. “However, there is a high level of care needed to ensure the message isn’t misconstrued or trivialized. … It must be done with a clear knowledge of the systemic factors that got us here, coupled with care for victims, survivors, and their loved ones.”
Other people, though, feel that comedy isn’t the arena to discuss such grim realities, with at least 78 school shootings reported in the United States last year, according to CNN.
“I don't think there's anything funny at all about it,” Bushman says. “Laughter is a good way to deal with stress that may be happening in our lives, especially if we make fun of ourselves. But mass shootings are no laughing matter.”
Zendaya, Robert Pattinson have a 'responsibility' to survivors
Mia Tretta poses after an interview in Providence, Rhode Island, on Dec. 14, 2025.
Tretta has not seen “The Drama” and is skeptical about its ability to start a thought-provoking dialogue around these issues.
“It’s frankly exploiting a crisis,” Tretta says. “There are ways to show this nuance without using people’s trauma as a gimmick. Studios and stars have massive platforms that they should use to give dimension to survivors, not perpetrators.”
Once the movie is released, she hopes the filmmakers will then share resources on gun violence prevention, safe storage and mental health. (In the press notes given to journalists by A24, there is no mention of any of these topics.)
“In some ways, it is the studio’s responsibility and the actors’ responsibility,” Tretta says. “A lot of young people look up to Zendaya.”
A drunken revelation throws the relationship between Emma (Zendaya, left) and Charlie (Robert Pattinson) into chaos.
In the publicity run leading up to the movie, Zendaya and Pattinson have also avoided commenting on the plot twist or overall storyline.
“We hope ‘The Drama’ handles this terrible subject with the sensitivity and respect it deserves,” Corin says. “Ultimately, whether this film or any film gets it right or wrong, the bottom line remains the same: we need action to end this crisis. And it’s going to take all of us, from Hollywood to the statehouse, from actors to students. That is the only way any of us is going to get the country we truly deserve.”
If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 any time day or night, or chat online.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'The Drama' is 'exploiting a crisis,' mass shooting survivor says
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