Charli xcx Impresses in Lovely Ode to Wanderlust

When young British couple Bethany (Charli xcx) and her boyfriend Rob (Will Madden) arrive in Warsaw, it’s supposed to be a romantic getaway. Back in London, the two have been living together and Rob seems about ready to take their relationship to the next level. With classy meals, a massage and multiple outings already on the itinerary, Rob has planned for privacy and romance, topped off by a surprise marriage proposal.

But Bethany’s mind is elsewhere, using the trip as an opportunity to reconnect with her florist friend Nel (Lena Góra). We quickly learn that Bethany first met Nel on a class trip when she was a teenager. Their meeting coincided with a volcanic eruption, as if their immediate bond was strong enough to shift nature itself. And since then, whenever they reunite, the chaotic pair abandons their responsibilities and romantic partners for a dedicated session of partying and mischief. Despite the damage implied by a volcanic eruption, the two playfully take credit for the destruction as sign of their connection’s raw power.

Restless in life and bored in her relationship, Bethany leaves Rob quickly to spend time with Nel, but returns in the morning. Upon waking up, Rob finds Bethany in the kitchen and the image of her making coffee with her body wrapped in a towel feels like a preview of their possible future together. Rob has a strong desire to be Bethany’s rock, a steady place for her to land after her adventures.

But the same wild spirit that intrigues Rob keeps him at a distance from the woman he loves. He struggles to get Bethany to see him as a partner she can open up to; she keeps her true desires close to the chest, denying Rob the intimacy he yearns for. Like Bethany, Nel is resistant to the responsibilities that come with a relationship. She’s seeing the beautiful Ula (Agata Trzebuchowska) but maintains an emotional remove, hesitant to commit to dates or tell the woman how she really feels.

Despite the dramatic implications of the film’s title, Eruption has a casual, slice-of-life vibe to it that prevents Bethany and Rob’s woes from teetering into melodrama. Director Pete Ohs juxtaposes the quiet nature of the narrative with straightforward narration that gives the film a novelistic quality. Narrator Jacek Zubiel switches from Polish to English, alternating between Bethany and Nel’s colliding worlds. The script, written collectively by Ohs, Charli xcx, Lena Góra, Jeremy O. Harris, and Will Madden, has a naturalistic feel to it.

With every voice personalized, there’s a collaborative quality to the story, allowing the actors to play off each other in ways that feel organic. Góra gives a complex, internal performance that is both captivating and mysterious. There are moments between Nel and Bethany that feel almost romantic, but it seems as if it’s Nel’s nature that prevents things from going further. Even though the film is weighted more toward Bethany, Góra steals the film whenever we see her alone.

Harris slips effortlessly into the character of Claude, a friendly and sociable American painter who finds himself involved in Bethany and Nel’s hedonistic antics. Unburdened by any romantic drama of his own, Claude offers himself as a mediator for his dysfunctional white friends, bringing an easy down-to-earth energy to every moment he’s onscreen.

With limited screen time, Trzebuchowska makes a strong impression as Ula, who refuses to let her feelings for Nel allow her to accept sub-par treatment. Less indulgent than Rob, Ula serves as a nice contrast to the heteronormative dynamic of boy chasing girl; she wants Nel, but refuses to run after her when the fear of commitment takes hold of her lover. Madden plays the role of devoted boyfriend with charm and an emphasis on the character’s seemingly endless patience.

But the standout performance here is Charli xcx as Bethany, channeling her party girl persona into a character who approaches her wanderings as an introspective vision quest, searching for a deeper truth within herself. There’s hunger and curiosity in her eyes; she moves through the world as if waiting for something big to happen. Even when partying with Nel, Bethany seems to be on her own private spiritual journey, in search of answers to questions she can’t even articulate. The pop star is a magnetic screen presence, showing a vulnerability that complements the existential themes of her most recent album, Brat.

Bethany, like Charli, revels in the euphoria that comes with dancing and drinking until the wee hours of the morning, fully alive among sweaty bodies with music pulsating from the walls. And then comes the clarity of morning, where the various choices and consequences of adult life stretch in front of her. We exist simultaneously in the before and after of a lifetime of eruptions.