SXSW Review: ‘I Really Love My Husband’ is a Humorous Look at Trouble in Paradise

Not all relationships are fated to last, but it’s not always easy to see the warning signs. Many people expect that sky-high divorce rates come only from vicious fights and disastrous affairs, but it’s possible for the disintegration of a romance to happen in a much subtler and more unassuming way. I Really Love My Husband, a film whose title speaks to its protagonist’s desperate desire to stay committed to her marriage, explores what happens when stable happiness becomes grating and just existing together in a blissful state is no longer enough.

Teresa (Madison Lanesey) starts her honeymoon in Panama with her husband Drew (Travis Quentin Young) in dramatic fashion. When their neighbor on the plane begins choking, Drew rushes in to save him, and after a severe peanut allergy is linked to the keto bar Teresa is eating, Drew corrects his announcement of “your bar” to “our bar” to take shared ownership of the near-lethal mistake. When they arrive at their idyllic destination, they’re greeted by their host Paz (Arta Gee), who offers an intimate experience in a paradise-like location that, with more and more time, shows Teresa that she really can’t stand the impossibly nice guy she’s only been married to for a year.

This film, the feature directorial debut of G.G. Hawkins, who cowrote the screenplay with frequent collaborators Scott Monahan and Lanesey, features an intriguing trio at its center. One promotional image for the film features both Teresa and Drew wearing googly eye sunglasses with their arms intertwined around Paz, who is also sporting the same eyewear. Being away from most in the world in a place that’s supposed to provide nothing but relaxation and privacy finds them both craving the attention of their nonbinary host, beginning with Teresa’s suggestion that they both try to seduce them and leading to considerable friction when they’re both not entirely able to read the alluring but unemotive object of their fascination.

This is not the kind of movie that those who have recently been wed should seek out since it might bring up difficult conversations about what will ensue when the “honeymoon period” is over, but it’s also a specific story that, from its start, shows some warning signs of the erosion of something that was once magical. Drew’s willingness to tell the story of how they met – which he finds oh so endearing – clearly irritates Teresa, and she’s definitely not in the right mindset to just appreciate what’s around her, seemingly seeking more excitement than what her admittedly nice and attentive husband has to offer.

The relatable aspects of this film should be entertaining to those watching, provided they don’t prompt problematic consideration of whether they really are as universal as they’re depicted in this film. One thing that bothers Teresa is that Drew does go to such lengths to check in with her to make sure she’s doing okay, a routine that feels overdone and tired rather than genuinely kind and well-meaning. She wouldn’t even think of the idea of leaving Drew or even having a serious conversation with him, but, just one year into marriage, it’s certainly not a good thing that she’s already wondering whether the dynamic that they’ve established is one that’s going to work for her or one that just felt right at the start and has stuck around since then.

Whatever message it offers for its viewers, this film does boast a talented cast highlighted by Lanesey. She doesn’t play Teresa as shrill or obnoxious, carefully metering the way in which she airs, or sometimes just passive-aggressively communicates, her grievances. As Drew, Young is charming but not infallible, and he also puts great care into how he shows that this nice guy can also be a dud sometimes. Gee is a great unifier whose low energy works well to interact with their two costars. This film is certainly fun and also leaves important ideas to consider, hardly a model marriage movie but one that doesn’t skim over the bumpier moments that are sure to manifest in some way or another in nearly every real-life relationship out there.

Movie Rating: 7/10