Whether or not it’s old hat to say this by the time more people can see this film, if there’s one film focused on the complexities of relationships when multiple potential partners occupy the vicinity, and Dakota Johnson is at the center, it’s Splitsville that’s the film to watch, over the decent but lesser romantic-comedy-drama, Materialists. Regardless, Splitsville gets so much comedic mileage out of people not being true to themselves, combined with the stubborn nature of man, that it’s impressive to even find some emotional throughlines and reasons to care about a pack of weirdos like this. That said, it’s the comedy that keeps this whole endeavor together, even when things tip toward pushing past the farcical nature of it all.
The plot focuses on two married couples. Carey (Kyle Marvin) and Ashley (Adria Arjona) are on their way to visit with Julie (Johnson) and Paul (Michael Angelo Covino). A freak occurrence on the highway inspires Ashley to admit she wants a divorce. Carey quite literally runs away from the situation, ending up with Julie and Paul to talk about it. It is here that Carey discovers his friends have an open marriage, which intrigues him. Taking things a step further, Carey and Julie eventually sleep together, which creates new problems for everyone, despite one couple having thought they had an understanding. As time passes, various combinations of these couples and others form, serving as an ultimate test to determine who truly has feelings for whom.
See Also: ‘The Naked Gun’ Review: Locked & Reloaded, With Plenty of Funny Business
Covino previously directed and co-wrote The Climb with Marvin. That film similarly focused on relationships, though mainly by way of a co-dependent best friend, but was structured as a series of long takes depicting notable moments in the characters’ lives over the span of a few years. Splitsville is not relying on the same sort of cinematic technique. However, the film does similarly present much of its story by way of episodic sequences.
By doing this, it means that pretty much every scene in this film is designed to play as a comedic set piece, with smaller laughs working as a build-up to bigger and sometimes broader moments. This comes at the risk of hurting the film’s momentum and helping to connect us deeper with the characters. Yet, I didn’t find myself at a loss in seeing the movie change up its lineup every so often.
Casting is key to having this work, and I do like this ensemble. Marvin shines as a guy who seems to be assembled from all the sad sack qualities of various dramatic John C. Reilly characters, making for a person who clearly cares, but finds himself easily susceptible to doing what he thinks is right in the moment, despite having a horrible moral compass. Covino is more of the sleazeball type, but he has a heart of gold. He makes poor work choices and lacks knowledge of what it means to be a good parent, but he loves his wife and wishes he could be as cool as he tries to project.
Not to be outdone, the female co-stars came to play. Johnson’s dry sense of humor and sense of aloofness are perfectly welcome here. From the start, one gets the idea that she is perhaps the most mature of this group. And yet, time and again, she lets things crack and exhibits a pattern of violence, among other qualities, to argue her side. Meanwhile, Arjona is a real good sport, throwing herself into the role of an impulsive health coach (one of the funnier little jokes of the film), who will happily sing what’s on the radio, despite being just as bad as her husband, and popping in from time to time to show off the ridiculous lineup of other men she’s trying to explore with.
As things escalate, so do the ramifications of the actions of these characters. We go from a car accident to broken house windows, to expulsions, and, of course, arrests that lead to prison time. The stakes basically remain the same though, as this is mostly a matter of who will end up with whom and whether or not they can maintain that coupling long enough to have it stick.
I suppose there could be something to say about modern relationships in today’s society for people who aren’t quite middle-aged, but are still past the point of being able to roll with fleeting relationships. At the same time, any sense of toxicity that comes from these relationships is not only not an accident, but more of a jumping off point for the sake of creating more comedic misadventures that may or may not surprise viewers, but certainly dole out the punchlines and moments fit for belly laughs.
It does ultimately come down to how humorous one finds everything that’s going on here. Splitsville hardly wants to be a feature that shows off too much decency. Despite being grounded in the real world, this film is full of ridiculous moments, silly bantering, and the consequences that occur when vulnerable individuals are pushed to their breaking points. The movie is quite well-acted, clever in its construction and comedic tension, and hardly willing to compromise when asked to choose between heart and quoting from other movies because the characters know they only have so much to personally express. Splitsville is currently calling itself “unromantic,” and that’s all well and good. Still, it is a film that loves romanticizing the buffoonery of people who think they know love. I’m all for those kinds of hilarious shenanigans.
Splitsville opens in limited release on August 22, 2025, and expands wide on September 5.
