Review #155: Spontaneous (2020)

This review was originally written in 2022.

Gabe's 100 Bucket List Horror Films Review #10 - Spontaneous (2020)

So, the first thing I want to address about this film is that I both agree and disagree with it being on a list of horror movies. On the one hand, there is definitely an extremely horrific and terrifying element to the premise and plot of this film- there's no denying that. But on the other hand, this is absolutely a romance movie, not a horror movie. Even calling it romance/horror feels a bit much. But whatever the case (spoilers for my final thoughts) this is a great movie and I definitely never would have watched it if it hadn't been on this list!

Spontaneous is a story about a group of teenagers in a small town who start spontaneously combusting. Without warning, without apparent cause, one by one they start randomly exploding. And that's kind of all that needs to be said- everything else that happens in the film is an extrapolation of that concept. But to explain it a bit better, this movie follows these students (one in particular, Mara, and her eventual boyfriend, Dylan) as they try to cope with the existential terror of knowing that at any moment, for seemingly no reason, you could die, as could those around you. If you were in that situation, would you try to run from it? Would you try to separate yourself from those you love? Or would you embrace love and try to live the best life you can, if each day- each moment- might be your last?

While I'm not going to spoil the biggest plot points, there's one spoiler that I feel I need to bring up in order to properly address this film: this film isn't about figuring out WHY people are exploding. If you go into this hoping to find the cause, hoping to solve the mystery, you're going to be disappointed. I was definitely in that mode when the movie began- I even noticed there were a few little clues the first few times someone explodes that had me piecing together what might be the cause behind this- but I assure you, those clues were either not intentional, or were red herrings. Even when the characters in this film are addressing the phenomenon (like when the government gives out medicine that will hopefully stop the explosions), at no point whatsoever is it explained to the viewer exactly what mechanism is being acted upon. Because, again, this film isn't about that. It's not about solving the mystery. It's not about finding a cure. It's about the lives and relationships of the people living in fear of death.

Would this movie have been better if it WAS about any of that? I don't know. My gut reaction is to say yes, but that's probably because those are the kinds of things I specifically look for in movies. But as it is, I think this is a heart-wrenching story, and it was definitely a wild ride that had me wondering about my own mortality and my own priorities in this crazy world we live in. The performances were all top-notch, there was clearly a lot of consideration put into the worldbuilding in this film, and several times I thought the narrative was going to fall into some cliche or overused trope but instead they dodged it at the last second. I don't think this was the best movie I've watched this year, but it's definitely a great one and I recommend it for anyone looking to have their heartstrings tugged on with a dose of humor and a splash of existential horror!

Overall Rating: 7/10 T-Rex Pops

Fun Bit of IMDB Trivia: When playing a song on a diner jukebox, main character Mara enters "C4" as her selection. Because, you know. C4.