A Senior Year with Prom, Graduation, and Existentialism

Katherine Langford and Charlie Plummer 
in "Spontaneous" 
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

The high-school sub-genre of film has done well in emphasizing how the experience that we have in those four years of schooling is full of things that we plan and things that are a spur of the moment.  The latter is the most prevalent because of how so much happens in those four years, that for one thing we anticipate, there are many others that come as a surprise to us.  Sometimes it’s good, and sometimes it’s not.  But, it happens to all of us.

This is something that’s explored in writer-director Brian Duffield’s sci-fi romantic-comedy, “Spontaneous,” a humorous and dark view into what it means to live every moment like it’s your last.

Mara Carlyle (Katherine Langford) is a high-school senior whose life takes an unexpected turn when her classmates begin to spontaneously explode.  Before Mara and her new boyfriend, Dylan Hovemeyer (Charlie Plummer), fall victim to the same fate, they try to figure out why such an occurrence is taking place.

Langford and Plummer have both done their share of dramatic material, with Langford having starred in the Netflix series “13 Reasons Why,” and Plummer having starred in the films “Lean on Pete” and “All the Money in the World.”  Although they’re able to use their dramatic talents that we’ve seen in the past, they’re also given the chance to exercise their comedic skills as they develop their characters’ relationship and maintain their connection in the middle of all of the uncertainty that this strange event is bringing.  The endearing bond that Mara and Dylan share shows them trying to make the best of a bad situation, never losing their sense of humor and always showing a commitment to each other to get through unexpected difficulties.  And, as a film buff, their occasional movie references were enough to have me rooting for them.

Duffield’s screenplay, which is based on Aaron Starmer’s 2016 novel of the same name, can get a little heavy-handed at some points and doesn’t really have anything groundbreaking to say in terms of the spontaneity of life, but the way in which this topic unfolds is nevertheless a unique, sci-fi/body-horror vision.  The story takes its time in developing Maya and Dylan’s relationship, showing how terrific their characters are for each other and how their similar sense of humor makes for wonderful interactions.  Having us spend a lot of time with them allows for us to experience how much they care for each other, showing a strengthening in their relationship as the scenario at hand gets worse.

This is a story where it might be difficult to find the right balance between the laughs and the shocks of the danger, but as a director, Duffield accomplishes the tricky transitions.  The romantic moments and memorable, comedic banter add some lightness in between the demises of students during the first two thirds of the movie, but we’re then brought into the third act that begins with a scene whose execution couldn’t agree more with Dylan’s assessment earlier in the movie that their situation is like a David Cronenberg movie.  It’s at this point that the gravity of what’s happening to these characters its you hard.

Duffield never fails to create tension because with the whole concept of the movie being to live your life as if you could die at any minute, we even begin to fear that one or both of the main characters could go at any minute.  With cinematography by Aaron Morton, Duffield holds onto shots for quite a length of time in certain spots, so you start to believe that something bad is going to happen.  Sure, you’ll be laughing quite a bit from time to time during other segments, but the anxiety returns quickly and heavily.  But, “Spontaneous” knows that that’s how life unfolds sometimes, and although that can be a difficult aspect of existence with which to live, it’s all about making the most of it.

Grade: B+