Not every marriage works the same way, and physical connections can be tricky, leading to a desire for exploration with someone else. Opening up a marriage is a risky endeavor and typically only works if all parties are equally into the idea, lest someone get jealous or realize that maybe they would actually be happier with someone else who was originally meant purely to provide sexual fulfillment. Splitsville explores that notion within the context of two best friends and how mixing things up is certain to leave a permanent impact on the way that they’re able to engage with each other.
A close call on the road prompts Ashley (Adria Arjona) to tell Carey (Kyle Marvin) that she wants a divorce, something that has apparently been on her mind given that she has a letter ready to read to explain her thoughts. Carey doesn’t take it well, making his way to the home of his best friend Paul (Michael Angelo Covino) and his wife Julie (Dakota Johnson). When they tell them that their relationship is open, it provides a pathway for, when Paul is out of town, Julie and Carey to sleep together. While both think this unplanned event won’t bother Paul much, they couldn’t be more wrong, and the consequences of this one-night union send major shockwaves through the lives of all four people.
Anyone who has seen The Climb, the first film directed by Covino and written by him and Marvin, will appreciate that these two real-life best friends have made another winner. While their female costars are surely the bigger names, Covino and Marvin bring a natural chemistry to the screen, and it’s especially fun to watch them engage in physical fights that go on far longer than should be comfortable as each pretends to back down only to then go right back in full-force. Fortunately, talking with their words – however dumb and petty they may be – is just as entertaining, and this film makes a resounding case for this duo to continue making movies together for as long as they can.
While Covino and Marvin were the only two leads in their previous film, screen time is very much shared in this project with Johnson and Arjona. That’s a wondrous thing since both actresses are perfectly cast for their roles. Johnson brings a quiet sarcasm and curiosity to Julie, someone who has an objectively great life and isn’t eager to add too much drama but can’t resist the appeal of occasionally being childish with both men. Arjona plays Ashley brilliantly since she seems at first to have everything together and be the one with all the power in the newly-ended relationship, but as the film goes on, it lets her be more vulnerable in very funny ways, reminiscent of her terrific performance opposite Glen Powell in Hit Men.
Opening up a marriage has been explored in many films and TV shows, and this film doesn’t purport to reinvent the wheel. It does, however, find tremendous freshness in the way that it stays so focused on the impact that seeing other people has for these four protagonists. There’s a particularly entertaining running joke where Carey continues to live with Ashley as she starts dating and then befriends each new partner of hers, ensuring that they too will stick around once she decides to move on to someone else. It’s a visual and conceptually hilarious plotline that speaks to this film’s ability to glean so much superb material out of a simple setup.
Splitsville doesn’t purport to offer all the answers about creating a sustainable long-term marriage, but that’s not what it’s trying to do. This film checks in with four people who go from being very happy in their lives to not having any idea what it is that they want. Fortunately, audiences are completely along for the ride, which is a fully engaging, nonstop funny adventure featuring four equally terrific performers. Covino and Marvin absolutely need to work together again, but it’s just as affirming and promising to see Johnson and Arjona excelling in something that feels different enough from what they usually do. Bring on more scripts and roles for all four of them!
Movie Rating: 9/10
