Hayley Law

(On Cable TV, September 2021) On paper, Spontaneous looks like a risky prospect — I mean: a teenage dark romantic comedy in which the characters are constantly at risk of spontaneously exploding? Well, yes, and it doesn’t take a long time for the premise to get going: As senior students of a small-town American high school start to explode in big bloody splashes without warning, our heroine begins a carpe diem kind of romance with a kindred spirit. Our two leads are naturally far more interesting to hear than their classmates, and their sarcastic dialogue does much to keep viewers invested in their plight. A good sense of (pitch-dark) humour from writer-director Brian Duffield tempers the film’s bloodier moments even if the result is definitely not for younger teenagers. I was disappointed but not really surprised that the film remains bereft of explanations as to why kids are exploding — this is one of those “the explanation isn’t as important as the situation” thing, but it’s still annoying. (The original novel reportedly isn’t any better.) Katherine Langford makes quite an impression as the lead character, playing off a good range of emotions along with co-lead Charlie Plummer — although Hayley Law does steal most of her scenes as the best friend. The last third of the film deliberately takes the story in a different direction, more sombre but arguably achieving its themes. There are other bits and pieces that I don’t like — the gore, the concluding existentialist philosophy and worst of all the unbearable soundtrack but let’s face it — I’m a middle-aged man trying to pass judgment on a film for teenagers, so I’m factually wrong on those aspects. But even with those annoyances, Spontaneous does end up a very successful teenage comedy — thick with subtext and literalized metaphors prodding at teenage angst and vulnerabilities. Imperfect but audacious and generally well-executed, it’s a nice surprise in a crowded landscape of teenage movies.