Forget 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day,' Zendaya's Raw HBO Max Black Comedy Makes MJ and Peter Parker Look Like a Fairy Tale

Image via Marvel Entertainment / © Columbia Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection Published Aug 4, 2026, 7:03 AM EDT Rotten Tomatoes | Letterboxd | Metacritic Carolyn Jenkins is a voracious consumer of film and television. She graduated from Long Island University with an MFA in Screenwriting and Producing where she learned the art of character, plot, and structure. The best teacher is absorbing media and she spends her time reading about different worlds from teen angst to the universe of Stephen King. Sign in to your Collider account Spider-Man: Brand New Day has had one of the biggest domestic openings of all time, a fact that is not totally comforting when it comes to one of the most traumatic aspects of the film. Fans were well aware that Peter Parker (Tom Holland) would be going through the trial of his life while no one remembered who he was, but no one could be prepared for the emotional violence that occurred when he interacted with MJ (Zendaya) again. This would be far from the most complex romantic dynamic that Zendaya would be a part of this year. The Dune actor has been all over the big screen in 2026, notably in a black comedy that has just hit HBO Max. Premiering in April, she and Robert Pattinson starred in the controversial movie, aptly titled The Drama, which dared to ask if there was such a thing as unconditional love. The Drama was the talk of the town when it first premiered, and now viewers can watch the story that makes MJ and Peter Parker almost comforting on streaming. ‘The Drama’ Doesn’t Let Viewers Off the Hook When The Drama first premiered, it was without a doubt a thought-provoking experience. A far cry from the comfort of the MCU, the movie dared couples who watched it to question their own relationships. What starts as a seemingly romantic film about an upcoming wedding devolves into a provocative conversation about what one is willing to live with. Zendaya plays Emma, a half-deaf woman, excited to marry Charlie (Robert Pattinson), the love of her life. Things go off the rails when, during a wine tasting, she and their best man and maid of honor go around the table, sharing the worst thing they ever did. The big surprise of the movie is what Emma’s answer is, and it had the world spinning when the film premiered. Emma tells the group that when she was in high school, she planned a mass shooting, but never carried it out. The rest of the story shows the couple trying to navigate her confession and considering if the wedding should still go on. While many characters, like the villainous Rachel (Alana Haim), fixate on Emma’s shameful moment, the movie isn’t really about the ethics of the character. Rather, The Drama poses a question to the audience and forces them to answer. Is there really such a thing as going too far? The movie has maybe a surprising answer to this question, but puts viewers through some of the most anxiety-producing moments to get there. More of a character study, the story reveals the true heart of these people by putting them through this conversation. Rachel puts herself on the moral high ground even though she has some terrible skeletons in his closet as well. Charlie is also not an innocent bystander and has to contend with the mistakes he has made and his complicated feelings about the situation. The Drama was made to be controversial and has revealed a real concern around media literacy. The story shows people who are not paragons of virtue but characters who struggle, make mistakes, and have doubts. The narrative is truly an original piece of fiction unlike anything else that has come out this year. True art is when filmmakers force viewers to confront the ugly truth about themselves, even when it's painful. With that in mind, Zendaya’s role as MJ is much easier to swallow, despite the pain that Peter endures because of it. Both show very different trials of romance, even if fans can probably assume that MJ and Peter will be together someday. Release Date April 3, 2026 Runtime 105 minutes Director Kristoffer Borgli Cast Writers Kristoffer Borgli Producers Ari Aster, Lars Knudsen, Tyler Campellone