Director Peter Ohs has brought modern romance to Warsaw in his 2025 drama Erupcja, earning three and a half stars out of five from film critic Sergi Sanchez.
The 71-minute drama, a co-production between the United States and Poland, stars pop musician Charli XCX alongside Lena Gora, Will Madden and Jeremy O. Harris. All four cast members collaborated directly with Ohs on writing the screenplay.
Writing for Spanish newspaper La Razon on August 26, 2026, Sanchez observed that the film astutely avoids turning into a promotional vehicle for its lead star. Instead, it captures an improvised atmosphere of whispered confessions and spontaneous late-night gatherings.
Plot and character dynamics
The narrative follows Bethany, an art historian played by Charli XCX, who shares little common ground with her conventional companion Rob, portrayed by Madden. Her perspective shifts when she forms a close connection with Nel, played by Gora.
Sanchez noted that the friendship between Bethany and Nel endures only for the duration of a volcanic eruption. That brief period allows them to disrupt lives, forget about the outside world, and position themselves at its center.
According to Sanchez, the film warns viewers in their late twenties against romanticising catastrophe to perceive themselves as uniquely gifted. He added that in matters of love, chance always manages to perform its role effectively.
Musician background and festival parallels
Sanchez drew parallels between the spontaneous tone of the film and Charli XCX's appearance at the Primavera Sound festival in 2024. Promoting her album BRAT, the singer organized an unannounced pop-up DJ set in the Barceloneta neighborhood of Barcelona.
The reviewer noted that BRAT used hedonistic club music and signature green cover art to explore the tensions of fame, nightlife, and melancholy. He explained that Erupcja echoes that same reflective vitality while keeping its narrative focused on character intimacy.
Charli XCX, born Charlotte Emma Aitchison, is an English singer and songwriter who rose to global prominence with hits across pop and electronic music before expanding into film projects. Primavera Sound is an international annual music festival held in Spain, while Barceloneta is a coastal district in Barcelona known for its public beach and vibrant nightlife.
Cinematic style and European influences
Ohs adopts an independent mumblecore style for the film, utilizing dynamic color filters and an off-screen voiceover narrator to trace the modern romances of its four characters.
Sanchez highlighted clear stylistic references to the European New Waves of cinema, specifically citing French director Jacques Rivette and the Czech New Wave movement. He compared the lead characters to the heroines of Rivette's classic film Celine and Julie Go Boating, noting that their chance meetings generate emotional eruptions.
Mumblecore is an American independent film subgenre that originated in the early 2000s, characterized by low budgets, naturalistic dialogue, and an emphasis on personal relationships among young adults. The French New Wave revolutionized film grammar during the late 1950s and 1960s with auteur techniques and casual storytelling, while the Czech New Wave brought innovative social narrative styles to Czechoslovak cinema during the 1960s.
Warsaw setting and creative collaboration
The production presents Warsaw as an energetic, constantly changing, and fashionable urban setting. Sanchez noted that the modest runtime of just over an hour aligns naturally with the light visual style and temporary emotions depicted on screen.
Co-star Jeremy O. Harris is an acclaimed American playwright best known for his Tony Award-nominated Broadway production Slave Play, while Polish actress Lena Gora has built an extensive career across European film and theatre. Warsaw, the capital and largest city of Poland, has emerged in recent years as a major hub for international film co-productions.
Critical verdict and rating
Sanchez awarded Erupcja three and a half stars out of five. He identified the freshness of the narrative, the visual depiction of nocturnal Warsaw, and the lively performances of the cast as the best aspects of the movie.
Conversely, the reviewer listed the potential disappointment of Charli XCX fans expecting a story centered entirely on their musical idol as the main drawback of the film.
