Love is like a volcano. It destroys everything in its path or can create something new in its wake.

In Erupcja, director Pete Ohs has woven together a narrative that feels oddly pure. Not oddly in the sense that the film is particularly odd. But odd in the way that a film feels like it simply shouldn’t work but still manages to sweep you away with its sensitivity, logic and even whimsy.

In essence, this is a film that seems like it shouldn’t work. Although it had a rough outline at the outset of filming, its story was written as a result of its team of performers. Partly improvisational, partly scripted, Erupcja found its voice along the way. As such, this seems to fly in the face of the way that big movies are made (especially ones with mega popstars like Charli xcx). However, this isn’t a film that was strung together carelessly. In fact, it was just the opposites.

Erupcja is a labour of love and it shows onscreen.

Everything about Erupcja comes together with intent and a beating heart of hopefulness. One can see that every frame is crafted with love, setting the actors free to create a story that feels genuine and authentic.

In Erupcja, we follow Nel (Lena Gora), a Polish florist who has strong feelings for her potential love interest, Ula (Agata Trzebuchowska). While not official, their relationship has potential and feels like it’s on the verge of something good. However, things are thrown askew with the arrival of Bethany (Charli xcx), Nel’s on-again off-again fling that seems to reconnect with Nel at the worst possible moments. As sparks begin to fly between the two once again, choices must be made about their future – choices that could erupt with disastrous results.

Rather than choosing more traditional sites like Paris or New York City, Ohs instead chooses to bestow the mantle of ‘city of romance’ upon Warsaw, Poland. (In fact, it even takes a few shots at Paris for being too cliché.) While Warsaw isn’t normally the sort of location that receives such amorous treatment, Ohs uses his familiarity with the area to bring out its best. As a result, there’s a certain softness to the visuals that emphasize the sweetness of the city and its characters.

For Bethany and Nel, Warsaw is a special place where love blooms – and we feel it as a viewer.

Having said this, it’s worth noting that Erupcja benefits from some delightful performances by Gora and Charli xcx. As Bethany, global pop star Charli xcx brings a quiet chaos to the role that feels entirely authentic. She’s sweet but emotionally volatile, looking for any chance to erupt the world that she’s built. And Bethany is an incredible foil for Gora’s Nel, a woman whose heart is equally as turbulent as her potential paramour. Together, their relationship mirrors the very volcanoes that the film uses as a metaphor. They appear stable on the surface, yet are more than willing to destroy everything in their path if the opportunity arises.

And this tension between love and loss is elevated by Erupcja’s exploration of meaning in modern relationships. This is a film that taps into the restlessness of youth but also its search to understand the world around them. Looking for answers through the arts, natural world and even the notion of magic, Bethany and Nel try to make sense of their lives and decisions through any possible means.

At the same time, the film doesn’t allow itself to get too caught up with its own ethereal beliefs. Erupcja is also keenly aware of the effects of our decisions and the damage that they can cause the people that we love. In essence, Erupcja is a film that celebrates the concept of stories larger than our own… while still undercutting it with the reality of the human experience. It’s a fascinating juxtaposition of ideas that never feels contradictory.

In the end, Erupcja isn’t the sort of film that’s going to end up on any Oscar shortlists in 2027, nor is it the type to make $200M at the box office. But it also is a delightful independent film that charms, challenges and calls its characters to find more than their next bedfellow. Entangled in the chaos of youthfulness, Bethany and Nel are trying to find what it means to be responsible in the midst of their own volcanic circumstances. And, within their personal romantic mania and mystery, we find something entirely relatable as well.

Erupcja is available in theatres now.