Splitsville (2025) - Film Critique

      **Splitsville, 2025.**

      Directed by Michael Angelo Covino.

      Featuring Dakota Johnson, Adria Arjona, Michael Angelo Covino, Kyle Marvin, Simon Webster, Charlie Gillespie, David Castañeda, O-T Fagbenle, Nahéma Ricci, Tyrone Benskin, Nicholas Braun, and Leo Hennely.

      **SYNOPSIS:**

      When Ashley seeks a divorce, the easygoing Carey turns to his friends Julie and Paul for support. Their secret to happiness is an open marriage—up until Carey oversteps his bounds, leading to turmoil in all their relationships.

      Writing, directing, and acting duo Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin showcase their comedic talents once again in their second feature, Splitsville, which explores themes similar to their 2019 film The Climb. While most of the jokes land well on camera, Splitsville seems to aspire for deeper insights but ultimately falls short, as everything circles back to an attempt at humor. In some instances, what the filmmakers perceive as funny veers into dark comedy, which may not be fitting for this narrative.

      For instance, a couple inadvertently causes another couple's car accident, with one death played off as a joke. It's easy to assign blame, especially since life coach Ashley (Adria Arjona), bored with her otherwise decent but dull sex life with Carey (Kyle Marvin), thinks it's the right time for sexual exploration. For Carey, experimenting means joining a pottery class, while Ashley sees it as an activity. Still, Ashley insists on distracting Carey with pleasure during a drive to his best friend’s lavish lake house, which is amusing until it results in a tragic accident that the film glosses over, eager to shift back to lighter situational comedy. Although the latter is less grim, there's a lingering sense of disappointment.

      From that moment onward, Splitsville manages to spark laughter and showcase clever gags (with imaginative blocking from cinematographer Adam Newport-Berra, who perfectly times additional visual humor), including a wrestling match between the male best friends inside the lake house. After Ashley confesses to infidelity and declares they should divorce, Carey races to the lake house, seeking comfort from Paul (Michael Angelo Covino), who is married to Julie (Dakota Johnson) and has a child named Russ (Simon Webster). Despite their affluence and family, they navigate their own relationship challenges, resolved through an open relationship. They refrain from asking each other about specifics or potential partners, agreeing that neither has the right to be upset.

      Contrastingly, everything Paul is not, Carey embodies. Paul is absorbed in his finance job and often "in the city" (a euphemism for infidelity), struggling to commit to family plans like an amusement park trip. Meanwhile, Carey, who has been trying to persuade Ashley to have a child, comes across as a fun and reliable father figure for Russ, contrasting sharply with Paul's nature. It doesn't take long for Carey and Julie to sleep together.

      The following morning, Carey confides in Paul about his night, leading to chaos with an extended brawl around the house that evokes memories of Peter Griffin's endless fights with a chicken on Family Guy. This absurd and exaggerated humor aligns well with the tone of Splitsville, tapping into themes of male vulnerability, jealousy, perceived betrayal, and unwarranted anger.

      Carey also joins Julie and Russ at the amusement park, introducing another compelling dynamic as she continues to flirt with other men. He interprets their sexual encounter as significant, while also defensively reacting to her flirtation on behalf of Paul. Julie rightly questions whether Carey's reaction stems from genuine concern for his best friend or jealousy. This angle adds depth to the film, prompting necessary reflections on relational dynamics and self-examination. Unfortunately, Splitsville devolves into a story about scorned partners striving to make amends and win back their lovers. Inevitably, this brings the tired trope of Ashley realizing she took Carey for granted. Halfway through, despite ongoing laughs, the film's potential feels squandered.

      Another major downside is that for a film examining open relationships, Splitsville lacks sensuality. When it attempts to be explicit, it either cuts away or turns the moment into a joke. At times, Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin seem overwhelmed, uncertain about how to portray open relationships beyond a circular narrative, failing to delve into something truly transgressive. Additionally, certain reveals undermine the honesty of the open relationship theme.

      While revealing the plot further would approach spoiler territory, by the end, Splitsville appears unexpectedly safe and predictable, frustratingly following a conventional path. It remains consistently humorous, relishing in the wild chaos, yet it fails to engage with the complexities of relationships (open or otherwise) as thoroughly as it believes. Amid the comedy, the film loses its focus on discovering any emotional truths.