Zendaya‘s dark rom-com “The Drama” isn’t in theaters until next week … and its shocking twist is already being denounced by someone closely connected to a related tragedy.

Here’s the deal … the A24 flick starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson is being marketed as a fun wedding flick … but a dark plot twist is shocking the hell out of early unsuspecting viewers … and the news has spread.

Warning: Major spoilers ahead!

Mauser — an outspoken gun reform activist ever since his son was murdered — says he’s completely floored that anyone would think a school shooting would be a good fit for a romantic comedy, even a dark one … and tells us it’s “awful” that of all the shocking twists to make someone rethink their partner … this is where the filmmakers landed.

Mauser tells us … he was particularly irked by Zendaya recently on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, where Mauser thought she was laughing off the twist — as Jimmy seemed to be taking how it would impact some viewers much more seriously.  

Mauser feels the subject in a rom-com starring a beloved actress like Zendaya “humanizes” shooters — and “normalizes” the shootings. To reiterate … Z’s character did not go through with the shooting — and mass violence is not depicted in the film.

To be clear … Mauser doesn’t think anyone who has ever considered violence, but not gone through with it, should be condemned — on the contrary, he’s encouraging anyone who has had these ideations to go talk it out with a therapist. However, Mauser doesn’t want it to be used for entertainment.