“We’re all cruel.”: SPONTANEOUS Explodes Into More Than An Average Teenaged Romp

Having not read the novel by Aaron Starmer and only having watched one trailer, I went into Spontaneous thinking I would have a fun time in a teenage rom com with, you know, the added bonus of spontaneous combustion; however, it’s so much more than that. It’s a bloody bildungsroman that not only splatters you with various viscera but with the understanding that life doesn’t always tie itself up in a nice little bow. It’s brutal in its execution of gore and the idea of life often being unfair and unpredictable. It provides an amazing and genuine insight into the stressors and variables that so beautifully impact our teenage years. It’s bursting with quality content. It’s a bloody good time. You get the picture.

Spontaneous focuses on Covington High School where Katherine Langford’s Mara and Hayley Law’s Tess yearn for the day they can leave a la every small town teenager (being one myself, I can confirm, except being one in high school from 2006-2010 involved a lot more eyeliner and Fall Out Boy), until one day their teenage angst is replaced with bewilderment and terror when one of their classmates genuinely explodes in the middle of class in what initially seems to be an isolated incident. However, this is clearly not a one-time incident, as that would have made for a very short movie and novel, and soon, Mara, Tess, and their peers not only have to worry about mundane activities like homework and tardies (do people even still say tardies anymore, or is it the Clueless in me talking?), but whether or not they’ll, um, spontaneously combust at any given moment. 

As the carnage continues, Charlie Plummer’s Dylan decides to text Mara and confess to liking her because he doesn’t know whether or not this could be his last chance. Mara and Dylan strike up a relationship that would make any alt teen gag on the outside but go completely giddy on the inside, and it briefly appears we’ll be getting our traditional teen rom com after all. But again, if that were the case, my entire first paragraph wouldn’t exist, would it?

I really went back and forth on what else I wanted to write about this movie because I sincerely don’t want to spoil anything, so I’m not really going to give away any plot moving forward because I think it’s best to go into this movie with as little knowledge as possible. Like I mentioned, Mara and Charlie’s romance seems to move in the direction of a traditional teen rom com, but Spontaneous is too smart to fall into the realm of a basic teenage romance. The residual effects of their relationship leave an imprint, both metaphorically and literally. 

I want to tell you this movie has a happy ending, and in a way, it does, but it also doesn’t do us any favors. Nothing is sugar coated, but I was still satisfied, and with Mara at the helm, it’s hard not to be. She has the cool hubris of Ferris Bueller mixed with a lighter version of Holden Caulfield’s nihilism and the complexity and intelligence of Kat Stratford. Again, I haven’t read the novel, but in this adaptation, even with her imperfections and teenage blunders, even if you don’t like Mara, it’s hard not to relate to her, especially looking back to my formative years from the gaze of a now 28-year-old. 

Spontaneous is like if Jennifer’s Body nixed the succubus, took place at Padua High, and listened to the narration of Fight Club in the background. It’s darkly funny and heartbreaking and self-aware without coming across as pretentious or out of its element. There are a lot of unanswered questions, but it’s not from a lack of plot or planning but rather because it tries to mimic reality; there are always things we can’t explain, and there are endings we receive without closure. Life is beautifully chaotic and tragically funny and painfully raw. We have no idea how our end will come nor do we have any idea of how much time we have, and Spontaneous reminds us of that through the lens of a teenager, where trademark adolescent hubris is quickly transformed into hormonal horror. 

I don’t think this movie or novel would either one work outside of a teenager’s scope because as you grow up, your entire perspective shifts, so the entire premise is brilliant. The effects are great. The writing is sharp without ever being condescending. Overall, I would highly recommend popping this on for your next weekend watch. 

Spontaneous is now streaming on Amazon Prime.