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Any discussion of <\/span>Pete Ohs\u2019 movies<\/span><\/a> inevitably turns towards his unique process, which combines the logical sequences of Ohs\u2019 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 <\/span>The True Beauty Of Being Bitten By A Tick,<\/span><\/i> which premiered at <\/span>this year\u2019s SXSW<\/span><\/a>, Jeremy O. Harris returns for Ohs\u2019 latest,<\/span> Erupcja<\/span><\/i>. So does Will Madden, who\u2019s appeared in three Ohs films so far.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n But, also inevitably, the headlines around <\/span>Erupcja<\/span><\/i> will revolve around a new member of the ensemble: Pop singer (and high-profile <\/span>Letterboxd user<\/span><\/a>) <\/span>Charli xcx<\/span><\/a>\u00a0stars in <\/span>Erupcja <\/span><\/i>as Bethany, a British tourist who doesn\u2019t know what she wants, but keeps feeling called back to Warsaw, Poland. She says it\u2019s because the city is romantic, and relatively under-visited compared to Paris or Rome. But really, it\u2019s because she can\u2019t stay away from <\/span>Nel (Lena G\u00f3ra<\/span>), a Polish florist with whom Bethany shares an explosive connection.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The chemistry between these two women is remarkable. It\u2019s natural and intimate, and spontaneous in the way that people can be when they\u2019re around someone they\u2019d follow into the ocean if it meant a little more time together. It feels as though they\u2019ve known each other for decades\u2014which 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.<\/span><\/p>\n Since then, she\u2019s 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\u2019s company. Every time they get together, a volcano erupts\u2014metaphorically and literally. A cynic might attribute this phenomenon to climate change. but to Bethany and Nel, it\u2019s further proof that they share something magical.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 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\u2019s 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\u2019s random drop-ins.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Madden is the film\u2019s most pathetic presence, walking alone in the rain and leaving a series of increasingly dejected voicemails on Bethany\u2019s phone. The characters in <\/span>Erupcja<\/span><\/i> 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\u2019t have to break up with them is practically a rite of passage for avoidant young adults like Bethany.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Erupcja <\/span><\/i>is wise in this way, and compassionate. In some ways, it\u2019s a movie about the things we don\u2019t say, and the things we project onto each other. In others, it\u2019s 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\u2019t.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Bethany shifts in her chair and looks away when Rob tells her that their flight has been delayed because of a volcanic eruption. It\u2019s 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 <\/span>Erupcja<\/span><\/i>, a little louder each time, until\u2014much like Bethany and Nel\u2019s attraction\u2014it can no longer be ignored.<\/span><\/p>\n Like his writing (his script credit is shared with the cast), Ohs\u2019 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\u2019s 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\u2019ll have to apologize for later.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Everything comes together as it should, which is a testament to the cast\u2019s intuitive and collaborative abilities as well as their director\u2019s. <\/span>Erupcja<\/span><\/i> is held together by fairytale narration, delivered in Polish by <\/span>Jacek Zubiel; it\u2019s a smart strategic move, as otherwise the narrative might feel too slight or disjointed to keep the audience\u2019s 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\u2019s this type of decision-making that makes <\/span>Erupcja <\/span><\/i>Pete Ohs\u2019 best film yet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Director:<\/b> Pete Ohs<\/span>
Writer: <\/b>Pete Ohs, Jeremy O. Harris, Charli xcx, Lena G\u00f3ra, Will Madden<\/span>
Starring: <\/b>Charli xcx, Lena G\u00f3ra, Jeremy O. Harris, Will Madden<\/span>
Release Date:<\/b> September 4, 2025 (Toronto International Film Festival)<\/span><\/p>\n