Erupcja (2026)
Directed by: Pete Ohs
Premise: A British couple (Charli XCX and Will Madden) vacations in Warsaw, Poland. She reunites with a woman who may be more than a friend (Lena Góra), causing a strain in the relationship.
What Works: Erupcja is a relationship drama that is outwardly simple but has much more going on under the surface. Bethany and Rob are a British couple who have come to Warsaw to sightsee. Rob is intent on proposing and he has planned a series of romantic events. Bethany is much less interested in structure and schedules, constantly subverting Rob’s plans. Bethany reunites with an old friend named Nel and it’s immediately clear that their relationship goes beyond friendship. We never see Bethany and Nel do anything more physical than sit close together but their intimacy is evident in Charli XCX and Lena Góra’s performances and in the way the filmmakers stage their scenes. Erupcja has an interesting visual style. Contemporary filmmakers have increasingly experimented with aspect ratios and Erupcja is presented in 4:3. In this case the unconventional aspect ratio feels justified. The narrow field pushes everything together, creating a feeling of compression, and the aspect ratio suits the film’s visual style.Erupcja mixes gritty imagery with splashes of color that makes for an interesting contrast and reflects the story’s dual relationships.Bethany and Rob are a stable couple but Bethany is clearly more excited by Nel and the two women have developed a mythology about their relationship, observing that every time they get together a volcano erupts somewhere in the world. The women project meaning onto their relationship that Bethany uses to justify her neglectful treatment of Rob. The filmmakers leave us with provocative ideas about romantic fantasies and how they shape expectations of our partners and our relationships.
What Doesn’t: When Bethany and Nel reunite, Bethany abandons Rob, leaving him alone in a foreign city on what is supposed to be a romantic couple’s trip. The filmmakers also abandon Rob. He disappears from the story for long stretches in the middle of the movie as the focus pivots to Bethany and Nel. Despite how poorly he’s treated, Rob never gets very angry and that’s the film’s key weakness. Erupcja is too emotionally restrained for its own good. Rob intended to propose but he never seems all that upset as his plans collapse. Bethany and Nel have an intense attraction to each other but there is nothing tempestuous about their relationship nor is there any practical reason why they cannot be together. The drama needs more friction.
Bottom Line: Erupcja is a small movie with a lot on its mind. The filmmakers underplay the emotions to a fault but Erupcja’s ideas about love and relationships are interesting. It’s the kind of movie that will provoke conversations among the viewers, especially couples.
Episode: #1098 (May 10, 2026)