Spontaneous (2020) Review

 "That's the saddest thing I've ever heard and people are blowing up."

-Mara Carlyle

When the senior class of Covington High School starts spontaneously combusting, Dylan (Charlie Plummer) decides to make the most of his life and tells his crush, Mara (Katherine Langford), he likes her.  The two form a relationship as more and more of their classmates explode.  As they get closer, they can only hope a cure will be found in time.

There will be some mild spoilers below.  If you haven't seen this movie, I highly recommend it, so go watch it and then come back and read this review.

What Works:

At it's core, this is a movie about a romantic relationship between two teenagers, which is not something that is easy to get right.  Fortunately, Langford and Plummer have incredible chemistry.  Their relationship feels natural and progresses with ease.  The story takes place over around eight months, so it gives the relationship the opportunity to not feel rushed and they succeeded.  It's one of the best relationships I've seen captured on film, which sets the foundation for the rest of the movie.

The premise of the film is horrifying.  These teenagers are dying and we don't know why.  There's no pattern, there's no explanation.  Any second someone could explode.  At first, we don't really feel those stakes, but as we get deeper into the film, we know that main characters aren't safe.  If you want a movie that will make you paranoid, this will fit the bill.

Despite the horrifying premise, this is also a very funny movie.  The humor is extremely dark, but if you're open to gallows humor, you'll have a good time.  Mara and Dylan are especially funny as they make horrible jokes about what is transpiring.  I feel like I would probably do the same thing, so it makes the leads very relatable.

Later in the film, the jokes stop and you become the movie's emotional punching bag.  It's actually pretty brilliant because the main characters haven't been taking things as seriously.  They've been cracking jokes and we've been laughing, but as they stop laughing and start crying, the movie takes us on that same emotional journey and it's very effective.

Finally, the supporting cast is also very good.  Piper Perabo and Rob Huebel play Mara's parents who are both awesome.  The scene where the three of them smoke weed together is one of the best of the film.  I've only ever seen Huebel in comedic stuff, but he has some dramatic chops as well and has a few moments that will tug at the heartstrings.  Chelah Horsdal is also a real one-scene-wonder as Dylan's mother and does an incredible job with her brief screen-time.

What Sucks:

Not all of the comedy works.  There are a handful of political jokes that feel a bit forced and uninspired.  They definitely took me out of the movie.

Verdict:

Spontaneous is an excellent dark rom-com with fantastic performances across the board, a very believable romance, a horrifying premise, and a lot of funny moments, even if not all of the comedy works.  This movie has definitely got it going on.

 9/10: Great