‘Erupcja’ Review: Everything is Pretty Romantic in this Kinetic Charli XCX Vehicle [B+] TIFF
People probably always say that a long-lasting love can feel like an eternal flame. Whether it’s with the person you’re currently with or a fling you once had, there’s always a burning spark that bursts from within when you’re with that person. However, Erupcja, the new Charli XCX vehicle premiering at TIFF, amps up that classic metaphor by saying a passionate love can instead be like a fiery volcano.
During the film’s opening, a volcano erupts before cutting to the loud sounds of wheels of a rolling suitcase. A seismic moment that instantly immerses the viewer onto the screen while setting the stage for the story. When Bethany (star/co-writer/producer Charli XCX) and her boyfriend Rob (Will Madden) arrive in Poland on vacation, their trip ends up being extended due to an eruption on Mt. Etna. As a way of passing the time before she and Rob can finally return home, Bethany reconnects with Nel (Lena Góra), a flower shop worker whom she’s had a fling with from time to time. Given how each time the women have gotten romantic, a volcano has erupted, Bethany sees it as a sign to be with Nel even if it’s for a fleeting time.
Bethany’s need to be with Nel the way she’s fallen in love again and again with her also stems from a need to escape from her normal romantic life. As committed as Rob is to their relationship to the point where he wants to pop the question, Bethany feels indifferent, having rejected his idea of vacationing in Paris because it’s too romantic for her.
Prickly and elusive with a spontaneous yearn for connection, Bethany is played magnetically by Charli XCX. Between her ability to carry a picture in this and her hilarious cameo on Overcompensating as a temperamental, fictionalized version of herself, it’s clear that the pop star-turned-actress is ready to make her mark in the film industry. Meanwhile, in a terrific breakthrough turn, Lena Góra acts as the calm ice to the volcanic fire of Charli’s Bethany, letting her face convey Nel’s willingness to bring their spark back even if she fears it might hurt those around her. Also a stand out is Will Madden as Rob, the man caught in the romantic crossfire. Even without any dialogue, we still see Rob being able to pick up the pieces on what’s transpiring.
It also becomes clear during a sequence that, like the opening volcano scene, relies on visual aesthetic to do the storytelling. As Rob tries reaching Bethany over the phone which keeps going straight to voicemail, we hear voiceovers of him trying to leave messages that play over snippets of rain pouring as if Rob is a mild rainstorm trying to put out the fire in the erupting volcano. Sequences like that are more effective at mapping out the characters’ thoughts and conflicts than when the script’s overreliance on narration.
As much as there’s a need to narrate every bit of Bethany and Nel’s backstory, it would’ve benefited more from relying on enough bits of dialogue and character action to let the viewer fill in the blanks on their history together. Also, despite its alluring runtime of 71 minutes, towards the end, one doesn’t entirely feel the film’s short length. But, Erupcja remains a visually kinetic travelogue romance that announces Charli XCX as a magnetic film star.
Grade: B+
This review is from the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. Erupcja is currently seeking U.S. distribution.
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