Erupcja (2026)

Relationship dynamics can entail a lot of work – sometimes more than we’d like to deal with. As a consequence, they might make us feel trapped, despite whatever apparent comfort they otherwise might provide. And that, in turn, may prompt us to desperately search for an escape, one that offers little resistance but is riddled with impulsiveness, an abrogation of responsibility and unquestionable indifference toward the hurt it may cause. Indeed, it might be all too easy to disregard such fallout and proceed with an all-too-messy exit, no matter how devastating it can be. That’s a prevalent theme in the latest feature from writer-director Pete Ohs, the story of a cold, distant, anxious British tourist, Bethany (Charli XCX), on a supposedly romantic getaway to Warsaw, Poland with her boyfriend, Rob (Will Madden). Rob had originally wanted a storybook amorous adventure in Paris, but he willingly changed plans when Bethany suggested – surprisingly – that they experience the romance of Warsaw instead. (Warsaw?). The recommendation admittedly puzzled Rob, but he agreed as long as it would still fulfill his secret plan for making a marriage proposal. However, not long after they arrive in Poland, it becomes apparent why Bethany made her suggestion: it provides her with the means to meet up with an old flame, Nel (Lena Góra), whom she first met when they were teenagers and have had occasional flings together over the years. And, after only a few days, Bethany essentially abandons Rob to spend all her time with Nel, circumstances that she freely pursues and that leave Rob understandably puzzled. Bethany tries to justify her behavior by citing a timely eruption of Mt. Etna, an uncanny synchronicity typical of what happens whenever she and Nel get together. It seems that their reunions are always characterized by the impactful eruption of a volcano (usually somewhere nearby). Bethany and Nel unapologetically draw upon these decidedly less-than-subtle symbols of unleashed eroticism to rationalize throwing caution to the wind, no matter what comes from it (as if that’s somehow OK). It also symbolizes the release of chaos that leaves all personally susceptible apple carts sufficiently toppled. Not only is Rob left out in the cold, but so is Nel’s girlfriend, Ula (Agata Trzebuchowska). In essence, the “boring” nature of Bethany’s and Nel’s partners provides a dubiously convenient basis for their respective abandonments. But, while their contentions may be valid, are they truly burdensome enough to callously justify such actions? That’s the message here, and it’s depicted bluntly, without sugarcoating. And, as tactless and questionable as these situations might be, this torrid, sordid comedy-drama is nevertheless unabashed in candidly capturing them, scenarios that happen more often in everyday life than many of us would like to think (or openly acknowledge). As Pride Month/LGBTQ+ cinema offerings go, this release may not be typical nor as fully fleshed out as it could have been (especially in the somewhat meandering opening act), but its economic narrative and brisk 1:11:00 runtime are well suited to the nature of what the filmmaker has ultimately created. In many regards, the film also echoes the overall approach and many of the elemental details found in Woody Allen’s “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (2008) but with a gay twist. “Erupcja” is thus one of those pictures that may make some viewers feel like they need to bathe after watching it, but one can’t deny its brusque frankness, and that can prove a valuable insight if we’re ever faced with comparable circumstances in our own lives.

"Bethany" (Charlie XcX) arrives in Warsaw, Poland with her nice but dim boyfriend "Rob" (Will Madden). We know that he is nervously awaiting a moment to propose and we also know that she knows that he thinking along those lines and is having cold feet. Anyway, we quickly discover why she chose Warsaw, Poland as the venue for the getaway as she goes to meet florist "Nel" (Lena Góra) whom she has known, on and off, for sixteen years. She, in turn, is vacillating over the nature of her own relationship with "Ula" (Agata Trzebuchowska) so with the scene now set we see poor old "Rob" treated fairly abysmally as the love of his life goes off to find herself. To be honest, just about none of this worked for me. Charlie XcX offers us nothing at all special as she portrays the character of "Bethany" - who has to be one of the most selfish I've encountered in a while, and the entirely unconvincing dynamic between her and the man she's supposed to have been living with for a year isn't helped by the constant reminders that Warsaw is, indeed, in Poland. There isn't even the vaguest spark of chemistry between this couple as either characters or actors. Likewise, though Góra at least tries to put some effort into her characterisation, there isn't much electricity going on there either as this non-story rumbled along to a conclusion that I couldn't have cared less about. The title alludes to "Bethany" believing that her fate has something to do with erupting volcanoes - Etna currently spewing out it's ash as they arrive, but even that theme is underdeveloped and the whole thing left me cold.

### “It’s always a dream with you. Until the next eruption. ♥️ — B

Natural disasters kill people, destroy civilizations, and present a windfall for life to return to the land. Natural disasters and infidelity coincide in that way. In Peter Oh’s 2025 anti-romantic film, “Erupcja,” viewers witness how self-centeredness is a beautiful reflection in the pool of water that leads to misguided coincidences and irreversible consequences in the age of technology.

The film’s opening image of Mount Etna’s eruption washed in carmine red appears on screen in time with the wistful harmonies of a Polish pop song. Shortly afterwards, omniscient views of the sidewalks of Warsaw interject in warm shades, reminiscent of a floral arrangement. By way of montage, Warsaw is introduced as a quiet, observant character who refrains from criticizing its players. This intention is further realized when the narrator voiced by Jacek Zubiel describes the characters’ dreams and brief backstories. The characterizations are presented from this all-knowing position, in spite of the characters filtering the audience through their breezy recountings.

After grounding the audience in the cityscape, the rumbling of a rolling suitcase on the stone sidewalk pre-laps. Its sonic introduction loosely alludes to the low growls of a volcano. This suitcase belongs to Bethany (Charli XCX). Bethany is the charming art history graduate with the dutiful and nice boyfriend, Rob (Will Madden). Early on, Rob exclaims that his original plans were to travel to the most romantic capital in the world with his soon-to-be fiancée. To his dismay, Bethany rebuts. “In Paris, there’s just so much expectation to be romantic that it just isn’t romantic anymore. Like, everyone’s seen the Eiffel Tower, but not everyone’s sat on that bench…”

This remark reflects the relationship to space and happenstance that Ohs’ process captures. His intuitive approach to filmmaking doesn’t simply throw the shot list and script to the wind. In the time of lexapro and artificial intelligence, Peter Ohs’ subjectivity is a necessary fabric in “Erupcja.” As his first foreign film, he wanted his lost characters to be resolved throughout the production. Therefore, the process was the product, and the experience of revealing the character’s vulnerability is the only finite goal.

Intertwining his subjectivity to create a container for the actors to play resulted in the romanticism of Warsaw. Peter Ohs stated in his “Screenfish” podcast interview that he moved from Los Angeles to Warsaw for romantic reasons. The longer he lived in Poland, the more he fell in love with its unexpected wonders and vibrance. The film’s kinetic cinematography roamed the city and captured minute insert shots to represent a place romantic. The graffiti, museums, and parks all depicted the Polish artistic milieu in an authentic, surreal style.

Warsaw became a threshold between the present and future for Bethany and her estranged fling, Nel (Lena Gora). The contained, intimate bubble Ohs constructed around these two women gave them a playground free from the expectations of settling down with their partners.

Nel and Bethany are convinced their incendiary connection causes volcanic eruptions anytime they are near one another. Bethany’s fear of falling into a heteronormative London marriage prompts her to alter her doting boyfriend’s plans from Paris to Warsaw, not even Krakow. Her intentions of traveling to Warsaw surface the moment she tracks Nel down, watching her with hungry eyes. Nel’s inability to commit to the maintenance of a monogamous relationship with Ola (Agata Trzebuchowska) leads Nel to entertain her mercurial affair with Bethany.

Rebelling against her somnambulant fate, Bethany and Nel exist in “Erupcja”’s midnight realm where words are interrupted by still-frames filled with colors and sapphic imagery. For instance, the fact that their fiery relationship incidentally erupts volcanoes is metaphorical. Volcanoes are an orificial figure. There are no sex scenes in this flick; however, their off-screen entanglements are implied with temporal cuts leading us to the next day with Bethany sporting Nel’s shirt, underwear-free on the balcony. In Nel’s flower shop, after being interrupted by her story-device sister, Maja (Maja Michnacka), Bethany wags a flower cheekily in Nel’s face.

Underneath their failure to acknowledge the self-centeredness of their theory lies their undeniable chemistry. Nel speaks Polish and English, while Bethany only speaks English. Despite the language barrier, these two women overcome those differences and indulge in witticisms, intellectual romanticism, and recite poetry in bed as the moon descends into the rising Sun. By setting the story in Warsaw, Ohs presents a lyrical quality that transcends language. In a Creative Screenwriting Interview, Peter Ohs explains, “I also like how the dialogue of a language you don’t speak can take on a musical quality. It evokes emotion and tone like an instrument.”

The dialogue is reminiscent of the mumblecore era of indie filmmaking. Unlike a hefty majority of the mumblecore films from the 2010s, the cast of “Erupcja” skillfully delivered well-paced dialogue while immersing themselves in the world of their characters, rather than relying on their on-camera magnetism. Through the edit, Ohs traded breathy beats for scenes existing in the swelling aftermath of selfish decisions. This is how he kept the narrative moving forward with dancing feet rather than trudging along the runtime.

Ohs confirmed his film inspirations included “Before Sunrise” (1995), Wim Wenders’ “Alice in the Cities” (1974), and “Celine and Julie Go Boating” (1974), hence “Erupjca”’s familiar tone and atmosphere. Some reviews compared it to Sofia Coppola’s “Lost in Translation” (2003). Personally, “Erupcja” reminded me of elements of Sean Price Williams’ “The Sweet East” (2023) because both films portray leading women who embody performative intimacy while internally negotiating the wherever you are, there you are disposition while traveling.

At some point in the film, the audience is shifted into Rob’s perspective. His calls to Bethany keep going to voicemail. He’s in a country he’s never visited before with an engagement that has yet to be accepted. He is not the sole victim of Bethany’s antics. Ola knocks on Nel’s door the day after Nel and Bethany indulged in drugs, dancing, and poetry, only to find out Nel completely forgot about their date night plans. The cracking hearts of Rob and Ola reveal the falsehood of Nel and Bethany’s confirmation bias disguised as cosmology.

Bethany and Nel needed the magic of volcanic eruptions and synchronicities to lure themselves into living their lives fearlessly and abandon their refusal to conform to monogamy or heteronormativity. What they fail to confront is that children are told fairytales to ward them away from life’s dangers and misfortune. As adults, the magic doesn’t have to disintegrate into oblivion. But magic doesn’t supplement shortcomings in faith and self-actualization. Hence, their infidelities result in a semi-satisfying reconciliation.

When the film enters its third act, Bethany recites Lord Byron’s “Darkness.” Unironically overlooking the loathing and narcissism in this poem, her and Nel’s tears trickle down their faces as they sit with the gravity of their infidelity and hedonism. By letting missed calls stack up and forgetting date-night plans, the two have to acknowledge they are not the main characters in their lives. Granted, having a main-character complex may be a defense mechanism against becoming the background character in your life. Regardless of this inhibition, Bethany’s awareness that Paris’ romantic narrative is a branding device rather than a state of being shows that she is capable of acknowledging how the internet and algorithms enabled her ego and disengagement from real intimacy.

Intimacy requires sacrifice of ego. In one of Rob’s final scenes, he defeatingly tells Nel that Bethany ghosting him in Poland is “not about him.” His ability to decenter himself from her actions conveys how vulnerability and honesty ultimately bring someone closer to knowing who they are rather than outrunning themselves.

To me, the core of the story is presented when Maja advises Nel to apologize to Ola for her shadiness. “It’s cool to apologize.” Due to social media and dating apps frequently affecting users with the paradox of choice frequently, society has normalized avoidant behaviors such as ghosting and only taking a lofty version of accountability that excuses selfishness. This half-heartedness allows so-called “main characters” to retreat into themselves without their whole selves. Self-reflection is a significant process in vulnerability, but the only way to truly engage in vulnerability is through connection. Considering that echo chambers exist online, performative self-improvement and intimacy run freely.

To synchronize with destructive experiences creates new pathways for reconciliation and growth, like a new Earth emerging after a volcanic eruption. “Erupcja” is the worst love letter with a lingering perfume and a lipstick mark that won’t fade away. Wrapped in aesthetic magic, a mystical score, and a whimsical affair, Peter Ohs' “Erupcja” is an anti-romantic film with undisputed charm. Though magic doesn’t mean consequences are erased and forgiven, the magic we find in our daily lives as adults gives way to connection beyond the internet.

Peter Ohs spells it out, “We have our phones…they trick us into thinking that we are the center of the universe. The algorithms make us think it’s all about us cause it’s marketing to us. We need to remember that it’s not all about us and that our actions can negatively impact other people. We’re working towards connecting with each other.”

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