Cannonball with Wesley Morris Does 'The Drama' Know Zendaya Is Black?
8 snips
Apr 23, 2026 
Gina Cherelus, New York Times journalist who covers dating and culture, joins to probe race and interracial dynamics in a high-profile film. They unpack why the movie avoids naming race. They discuss a shocking plot twist, absent Black family members, and patterns in how media treats Black women paired with white men.
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Zendaya Is Underused Because The Film Avoids Race
- Wesley Morris argues Zendaya's talent is underused in The Drama because the film is afraid to address the interracial reality of her relationship with Robert Pattinson's character.
- The film centers Pattinson's panic about her past violent thoughts while sidelining Emma's perspective and racial context, limiting psychological depth.
The Movie's Twist Re-Racializes The Room
- Gina Cherelus summarizes the movie's twist: young Emma planned a mass shooting and recorded a manifesto, which she later reveals at a wedding tasting.
- The reveal provokes intense anger from white characters while the lone Black man at the table de-escalates, exposing racialized reactions.
Flashbacks Show Context But Present Day Evades It
- The podcast notes the film shows extensive flashbacks of young Emma's isolation but refuses to let present-day Emma fully explain racial bullying as context.
- Absence of her parents and Black community in the present-day narrative intensifies the sense the film avoids racial specificity.
