Any discussion of Pete Ohs’ movies inevitably turns towards his unique process, which combines the logical sequences of Ohs’ background as a computer programmer with an open-minded, improvisational approach to writing and performance. Actors love Ohs for this, and the filmmaker has built a core company as a result. After co-starring in The True Beauty Of Being Bitten By A Tick, which premiered at this year’s SXSW, Jeremy O. Harris returns for Ohs’ latest, Erupcja. So does Will Madden, who’s appeared in three Ohs films so far.
But, also inevitably, the headlines around Erupcja will revolve around a new member of the ensemble: Pop singer (and high-profile Letterboxd user) Charli xcx stars in Erupcja as Bethany, a British tourist who doesn’t know what she wants, but keeps feeling called back to Warsaw, Poland. She says it’s because the city is romantic, and relatively under-visited compared to Paris or Rome. But really, it’s because she can’t stay away from Nel (Lena Góra), a Polish florist with whom Bethany shares an explosive connection.
The chemistry between these two women is remarkable. It’s natural and intimate, and spontaneous in the way that people can be when they’re around someone they’d follow into the ocean if it meant a little more time together. It feels as though they’ve known each other for decades—which we learn as the story unfolds, and reveals that Bethany and Nel first met when Bethany came to Warsaw on a school trip many years ago.
Since then, she’s returned periodically, clearly drawn to Nel but unable to make a commitment to her. So they go out and drink and party and try not to think about the next morning, because it feels so good to be in each other’s company. Every time they get together, a volcano erupts—metaphorically and literally. A cynic might attribute this phenomenon to climate change. but to Bethany and Nel, it’s further proof that they share something magical.
This time, Mount Etna is keeping Bethany in Poland longer than expected. And this time, things are more complicated than usual, as Bethany has brought her boyfriend Rob (Madden) along on what’s supposed to be a romantic weekend. (It is, but not in the way Rob was expecting.) Sweet, simple Rob is planning to propose, and Bethany is completely freaked out. So she subtly undermines any activity Rob has planned that might make an appropriate background for an engagement, while sneaking out at night to go see Nel. But Nel has a life of her own, and is getting tired of Bethany’s random drop-ins.
Madden is the film’s most pathetic presence, walking alone in the rain and leaving a series of increasingly dejected voicemails on Bethany’s phone. The characters in Erupcja behave in ways that are selfish and short-sighted, but painfully realistic; treating someone so poorly that they break up with you so you don’t have to break up with them is practically a rite of passage for avoidant young adults like Bethany.
Erupcja is wise in this way, and compassionate. In some ways, it’s a movie about the things we don’t say, and the things we project onto each other. In others, it’s about finding the courage to look past your own needs and actually see the humanity in other people. Charli xcx gives a surprisingly good, grounded performance in this regard, adjusting her body language and eye contact to express the things her character can’t.
Bethany shifts in her chair and looks away when Rob tells her that their flight has been delayed because of a volcanic eruption. It’s subtle, but Ohs and sound designer Danny Madden add a rumbling sound low in the mix as she processes the news. This sound reoccurs throughout Erupcja, a little louder each time, until—much like Bethany and Nel’s attraction—it can no longer be ignored.
Like his writing (his script credit is shared with the cast), Ohs’ shooting style is also improvisational, with the director serving as his own cinematographer in order to streamline the process. This lends an intuitive feel to the film’s impressionistic cutaways, evoking memories of a perfect afternoon abroad with closeups of drops of rain splashing into a puddle, or fancy food arranged artfully on a plate, or the look someone gives someone else that shifts the vibe for the rest of the evening. The effect is sensual, even sexy, creating a dreamy bubble around the characters as they make decisions they’ll have to apologize for later.
Everything comes together as it should, which is a testament to the cast’s intuitive and collaborative abilities as well as their director’s. Erupcja is held together by fairytale narration, delivered in Polish by Jacek Zubiel; it’s a smart strategic move, as otherwise the narrative might feel too slight or disjointed to keep the audience’s attention long enough to appreciate all the subtle details. But it also adds a hint of enchantment to the story, evoking the sophisticated connotations of the international arthouse. It’s this type of decision-making that makes Erupcja Pete Ohs’ best film yet.
Director: Pete Ohs
Writer: Pete Ohs, Jeremy O. Harris, Charli xcx, Lena Góra, Will Madden
Starring: Charli xcx, Lena Góra, Jeremy O. Harris, Will Madden
Release Date: September 4, 2025 (Toronto International Film Festival)
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