You could almost talk about Charli XCX’s debut film Erupjca exclusively using song titles from her iconic album “brat.” “Everything is romantic,” “Girl, so confusing,” “Rewind,” “Sympathy is a knife,” and “I might say something stupid” all share a particular vibe with the film, a romantic odyssey from Pete Ohs in which Bethany (Charli XCX) and her soon-to-be fiancé, Rob (Will Madden), travel to Warsaw, Poland only for Bethany to fall into old habits. The movie is breezy, colorful, and feels like a modern-day Frances Ha (2012) meets Cleo From 5 to 7 (1962) with its super snappy yet successful 71-minute runtime.

On the surface, Rob and Bethany are young, in love, and enjoying traveling to Warsaw, which, as Bethany puts it, is far less pressure than visiting somewhere like Paris, especially since she thinks Rob is going to pop the question on their trip. But there’s a catch that Bethany doesn’t share with Rob about Warsaw. Every time she visits, a volcano erupts (this time it’s Mt. Edna), which she takes as a sign to damage those around her and pursue a wholly selfish relationship with Nel (Lena Gora).

With a charming cast of characters, this fate-versus-choice romantic getaway story acts as an evolving organism of its own, building upon its consistent jokes (there’s a bit about being in Poland that becomes funnier every time it is echoed) and bubbly personalities. The seams and shallowness of the characters, along with the actual story taking place, are visible. As something that feels like a work-in-progress even as it came into existence and has most of the cast credited as co-writers, Erupja offers a unique movie experience that I found myself fawning over.

Due to the short and surface-level nature of the movie, it’s unable to truly dig into some of its themes, of which there are many. One of the most intriguing ones that felt properly explored, however, is how we use signs from the universe around us as a glorified way to justify our selfish, or even outright bad, decisions. As Bethany begins to spend more time with Nel and less time with Rob during their trip, relationships start to act like the very volcano Bethany believes they should replicate—an explosion of passion, only to be followed by a swift cooling of everything they touch.

Erupjca proves a few things: Charli XCX has the acting juice, romance is whatever you believe it to be, and everything is better with a hint of “brat.” 

Review Courtesy of Ethan Simmie

Feature Image Courtesy of TIFF