'Erupcja' Review: A Pulsing Slice-of-Life Triumph
- 54 minutes ago
- 4 min read
By Becca Johnson - June 6, 2026
Directed by Pete Ohs (Jethica), Erupcja is a festival drama darling finally receiving a wide release. Starring pop sensation Charli XCX (The Moment) in the leading role and promising a naturalistic viewing experience due to its somewhat improvised dialogue, Erupcja has garnered much attention in the indie film scene. Charli XCX plays Bethany, who whilst on vacation in Poland breaks away from her doting boyfriend Rob (Will Madden), fearing a proposal is imminent. Reuniting instead with an old friend Nel (Lena Gore), the two women rekindle a uniquely combustible chemistry over the course of a few days in a chaste but burning trust predicted on sapphic synchronicity and a mutual penchant for poetry.
Offering up stellar performances, aesthetically stunning filmmaking and a true slice of life approach that forces you to forget it’s fiction, Erupcja is a triumph.
The key to a successful slice of life film is a real, relatable story that the audience can immerse themselves into. Luckily, Erupcja absolutely nails that aspect, often feeling as though you’re watching a group of adults live their lives rather than viewing a fictional movie. Every movement made, line of dialogue spoken and look given between characters feels genuine and authentic, the cast helping to convince us that they’re an actual group of friends partying and hanging out. The mundanity of these conversations surprisingly keeps you hooked, as you can notice your own behavioural patterns within their interactions. The improvisation techniques used by the filmmaking team aid this too, with director Ohs letting the conversations naturally flow between his cast members. This really allows Charli and her on-screen colleagues to become their characters, acting in a natural way to let the story unfold rather than following a tight script. The Warsaw location supports this overall sense of realism, because as well shot as it is, it feels like any regular city. There’s no huge hustle and bustle, tourist traps or vacation-worthy weather; it’s simply a rainy, lived in city.
Much commendation must be given to the cast, who not only consistently deliver believable performances but really commit themselves to the trickiness of improvisation, pulling it off perfectly. We’ve seen Charli XCX act a few times up until this point, but this is easily her strongest turn yet. Bethany is a character that feels stuck and wants to enjoy the spontaneity of life rather than the average routine she’s found herself accustomed to. She is fond of her boyfriend Rob because he’s ‘nice’, but in her words, ‘nice is boring’. Charli explores this inner turmoil well, giving quite a nuanced performance that adds normality and relatability to Bethany. She really indicates her talent when portraying the energy shift from hanging with Rob, to hanging with old pal and potential fling Nel. When she’s with Nel, she’s electric. She also masters the sporadic emotion required, delivering a monologue during the final act that shows what she’s capable of. Will Madden (The Beta Test) plays boyfriend Rob, who is waiting for the perfect time to propose to Bethany but continues to get left in the dust. His anxiety at not being able to reach her leaps from the screen; anyone that’s experienced a partner who changes plans and runs off alone will relate to his feelings tenfold. Lena Gora is also notable as Nel, exhibiting wonderful chemistry with Charli whilst showing she knows it’s only temporary. The cast are fantastic.
The cherry on top of Erupcja that really helps it reach high heights is the filmmaking on display from all involved. The aesthetics are instantly noticeable, with lots of bold neons taking charge and breaking up certain scenes of the films. These breaks, including flashing screens and erupting volcanoes, amplify the story rather from distracting from it, bringing the metaphorical elements of the script to light. Speaking of which, Erupcja does a fantastic job introducing metaphors that aid the story, but are understandable rather than leaving you scratching your head like they often can. The link between volcanoes and the bond between our characters is explicitly explained, leaving no stone unturned. Both cause destruction, and both mean perfectly innocent people get left behind. As well as thought provoking exploration of the turmoil that certain bonds in our life can cause for others, the script also explores the want within human nature for excitement and spontaneity, and how visiting a certain place from our past life can cause us to revert back into those behaviours, thoughts and feelings. Tying everything together in a neat, down-to-earth bow is the cinematography from Pete Ohs himself, capturing both Warsaw and his cast in such a lived-in way. Warsaw might not be the most picturesque location, but because of the excitement within the aesthetics, dialogue and story, you’ll want to visit regardless.
Erupcja is the perfect example of a team effort, one that shows the importance and success behind collaboration, improvisation and trust. It may be simplistic in approach and merely be a collection of conversations and feelings, but by combining mumblecore with techno, exploring very real feelings and behaviours and letting its cast do their thing, a memorable film is created. Impressive from start to finish with every element combining into a delicious slice of life event, Erupcja is a must watch.
'Erupcja' is out now in select cinemas.
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