Dramarama

Released Aug 13, 2021

1 hr. 31 min.

Comedy

Drama

LGBTQ+

List

100%

14 Reviews

Tomatometer

77%

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Audience Score

Escondido, California, 1994. It's the end of summer and Gene is preparing for his high school drama friends' final murder mystery slumber party. The theatrical hostess, Rose, will fly off to start college the next morning, followed by earnest Claire, magnetic Oscar, and sarcastic Ally. Yet Gene has bigger problems than being left behind by his best friends: he wants to come out of the closet - but is terrified of what they might think.

Read More

Read Less

Hulu

Watch Dramarama with a subscription on Hulu.

Andrea N

Obsessed with this movie! Every character is fleshed out and interesting and you have a reason to love and hate all of them. Really entertaining.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/18/22

Full Review

dave d

A refreshingly honest and authentic film, 'Dramarama' is about some drama kids whose friendships are at a crossroads due to an oncoming thing called college. It's a simple story, wonderfully put together with the nuance to match from newcomer Jonathan Wysocki. Set in 1994 California, the mostly 1st time film actors present as seasoned veterans. The movie has a John Hughes vibe with a queer bend. Very entertaining, this could be any high school in the USA suburbs. There's a scene with a camcorder that brought back memories. Very well styled. The topics discussed are relevant not only to the 90s, but to today. Also, it makes you think about the people anti-gay in the 90s who would be cancelled if there was twitter back then! It's a really good film and can't wait for the next Wysocki movie! Final Score: 8.7/10

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I totally relate to this movie in so many ways! It's so heartfelt and hilarious! What a "dramedy" should be! I love all these characters! Even the cool guy. (I'm not sure I'm supposed to have empathy for him because he's a bit jerk-ish to the core group of friends, but I do.) When is the sequel or TV series coming out? I want to know what happens to them all! They all felt so much like REAL friends, not fake constructed friends like "90210." Their intense teenage dynamics that can change on a dime; their goofy, impulsive play; their heartbreaks and connections – all so genuinely portrayed and written. All the secrets they hold, and how (and if!) they are revealed to each other, make for good plot twists, surprises, and suspense. Small, wonderful cast – all excellent! It's OK if you don't get all the 90s references – I didn't! Even if I didn't always get them, I was laughing because the cast made the lines so funny. And this dramedy lets you laugh without guilt! There really are no crushing jokes at someone else's expense and the serious scenes don't rob you of the joy you had moments before. This movie will pull at your heartstrings at times, but not in obvious "cue-the-tears" ways, thank goodness. Even though the movie is set in a middle-class suburb, Dramarama captures the uncertainty and excitement of that critical cusp-y time in our lives between adolescence and adulthood that I think is a commonly-shared experience across geographic, ethnic, and economic strata. While the individual details of our personal human development may differ, most of us probably grappled with aspects of our identity, started to question our beliefs and those we were raised with and around, and delighted in the dreams of our future during our "pre-adult" age. Whether you're going through this stage now (or soon!) or you're looking back on it, this movie gives you both levity and perspective on the journey through it. This movie hits every mark! Including a fun soundtrack! Totally worth the watch! (I've watched this movie a few times already!) I'm all, "This movie is so rad!"

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Dramarama is a delight for audiences of all age groups. If you grew up in the 1980s and 1990s you will immensely love all of the clever pop culture references. The introspective qualities of Gene the main protagonist, are akin to those of Angela Chase in "My So-Called Life" or Kevin Arnold in "The Wonder Years." Even if you did not come of age during this time period the film captures the awkward, messy, and complex elements of friendship that are a part of adolescence regardless of the time period one came of age in. A stellar performance all around by a superb ensemble of young people who strike the perfect balance of both serious and comedic acting.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This movie feels like a homage to all of the theater kids and art students of the world. If you didn't roll with all of the 'popular' kids that were peaking in high school, this movie will speak to your soul. If you were obsessed with theater and music growing up, this movie is in your native language. I can't say enough about how much this movie hit home. It sucked me in so well, I didn't even feel my body or my surrounding world until I was knee deep into the credits.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Easy watch with above average dialogue 2.8/5. It feels silly to say there was too much drama in a movie called dramarama

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/02/21

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Jonathan Wysocki

Director

Nick Pugliese

Gene

Nico Greetham

Oscar

Zak Henri

JD

Anna Grace Barlow

Rose

Megan Suri

Claire

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

100%

70%

Milkwater

TRAILER

for Milkwater

73%

63%

Cubby

TRAILER

for Cubby

92%

82%

Sublet

TRAILER

for Sublet

61%

75%

Stage Mother

TRAILER

for Stage Mother

88%

73%

Daddy Issues

TRAILER

for Daddy Issues

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Dan Callahan

TheWrap

The young actors in Dramarama are all touchingly fresh and spontaneous and ideal for their roles, and they carry all this pop-culture dialogue and give it a chance of seeming natural.

Aug 12, 2021

Full Review

Eric Langberg

The Queer Review

For a certain subset of what Wysocki calls “the nerds and late-bloomers,” Dramarama has the potential to be a cult classic.

May 20, 2022

Full Review

David Reddish

Queerty

For any queer kids who sought theatre as a refuge, or for anyone haunted by childhoods end as embodied by high school graduation, Dramarama is a must-see. It also heralds Wysocki as a thoughtful director to watch.

Rated: 3.5/4

Mar 13, 2022

Full Review

Filipe Freitas

Always Good Movies

I was not blown away but was satisfied enough with the outcomes of a film made appealing by the charm of its story and the sensitive talents of its actors.

Rated: 3.5/5

Nov 15, 2021

Full Review

Andrew Stover

Film Threat

Overall, thisis a lovely gem of a movie.

Rated: 8/10

Oct 22, 2021

Full Review

Gary M. Kramer

Philadelphia Gay News

Wysocki certainly captures the way these kids think and speak and react to all this drama, which is of course, especially heightened for a group of theatrical teens... the ensemble cast makes the friendships, rivalries, and unspoken desires believable

Sep 1, 2021

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

Escondido, California, 1994. It's the end of summer and Gene is preparing for his high school drama friends' final murder mystery slumber party. The theatrical hostess, Rose, will fly off to start college the next morning, followed by earnest Claire, magnetic Oscar, and sarcastic Ally. Yet Gene has bigger problems than being left behind by his best friends: he wants to come out of the closet - but is terrified of what they might think.

Director: Jonathan Wysocki
Executive Producer: Charles Herman-Wurmfeld
Screenwriter: Jonathan Wysocki
Distributor: 1091
Production Co: Ambrosia Pictures
Genre: Comedy, Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 13, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 7, 2021

Most Popular at Home Now