Popular Theory

While her sister Ari is only interested in attracting the attention of her crush Charlie, Erwin conducts all kinds of scientific experiments in her room. At school, the twelve-year-old is the youngest, having skipped several grades due to her intellectual giftedness. She witnesses the adolescent struggle for popularity and the defamation of outsiders. She considers her new classmate Winston as a rival. Like Erwin, the 13-year-old chemistry enthusiast wants to win the science competition. However, both lack the right project idea until Erwin has a brilliant idea. She wants to develop a chemical that makes unpopular people desirable. Now, of all times, her aunt Tammy and her father Arthur decide to give Erwin a break from science. Erwin’s behaviour seems antisocial to them, especially since the girl has never had friends in her life and talks to her namesake Erwin Schrödinger shown in a poster. Of necessity, Erwin suggests a partnership to Winston. Together they develop the popularity serum and test it on outsiders Casey and Alan, with unexpected consequences.