Sympathy Is A Knife: Charli xcx Shines In This Snapshot Of Falling Out Of Love
In 1927, The New York Times declared that Warsaw had regained its pre-war status as Paris Of The North, calling it the “gayest, cleanest and most feminine of European cities.” However, the distinctive charms of its prewar architectural glamor have undergone a change, with the skyline now dotted by towering modern edifices such as the Warsaw Spire, Zlota 44, and The Bridge. Even the old school trams have been replaced with modern light rail. The characters in Pete Ohs delightful Erupcja are similarly caught between past and present in this summery, loose-limbed look at relationships under scaffolding.
Bethany (Charli xcx) and Rob (Will Madden) have arrived in Warsaw for vacation, but both have other objectives in mind. Rob is planning to ask Bethany to marry him, but aware of his surprise, she starts keeping a distance, not quite ready to acknowledge that perhaps their partnership has run its course. Now in Warsaw for her fifth time, Bethany tracks down Nel (Lena Gora), a friend she shares a deep connection with whenever she’s in Poland, but forgets about when she’s back home in England. Nel welcomes the distraction from her on-again, off-again relationship with Ula (Agata Trzebuchowska), who she clearly adores, even if she can’t show her the respect she deserves. Each time Bethany and Nel get together, as if by magic, a volcano erupts somewhere in the world. Right on cue, smoke begins to spew from Mount Etna in Italy, delaying Bethany and Rob’s flight home. But it also postpones their much needed reckoning, as Bethany and Nel avoid their problems together. But as American ex-pat artist Claude (Jeremy O. Harris) tells them, volcanoes kill people, and this trip will result in some wreckage.
The production of Erupcja embraced improvisation and spontaneity. Shot on location in Warsaw, and in sequence, Ohs and his cast developed their characters and dialogue together. Indeed, the script is credited to the lead ensemble. That intimacy was maintained throughout the shoot as Ohs kept the crew incredibly small, operating the camera and editing the film himself. The approach contributes to an endearing off-the-cuff charm that carries across the picture’s slim seventy-one minute runtime. It never once feels compromised or simply tossed off.
Visually, the film evokes the softness of Eric Rohmer’s work, feeling like a lived-in postcard rather than a tourist’s Instagram reel. Apartments and studio spaces, storefronts and restaurants, are inviting, welcoming, and most of all, feel personal. Ohs currently lives in Warsaw, and Erupcja feels like a document from someone familiar with its subcultures and hidden corners. Those expecting a continuation of Brat Summer may be disappointed in the film’s unhurried vibe. But it’s one that pop star Charli xcx eases right into, delivering a grounded performance that captures Bethany’s avoidance and indecision that is relatable and empathetic.
Last year, Warsaw unveiled its first bridge for pedestrians and cyclists, spanning the Vistula River, and connecting the city centre with the working class district of Praga. It’s a place where Nel comes to think, be silent, and listen to music on her headphones. “I had a very strange day,” she says twice in the film. At first, it might be hard to see what’s so strange. Over the past few days, Nel has spent time with Bethany, gone to a party at Claude’s, tried to help her friend Jan (Jan Lubaczewski) with his girlfriend, and sort out her feelings about Ula. But isn’t life itself strange? How we can make a best friend in a whole other country? How it sometimes takes going abroad to work out our feelings about a relationship? How observing another couple can help us make sense of our failings? It might not have the violence of a volcano, but there is something distinctly beautiful that Ohs captures about the quotidian messiness of just trying to figure everything out.
Reviewed on September 11th at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (50th edition) – Centrepiece. 71 Mins.
★★★★/☆☆☆☆☆
