I walked into “Splitsville” with the expectation of a simple rom-com—something a little raunchy, kind of funny, and maybe even a tad forgettable. But what actually unfolded over its 104-minute-runtime was beyond the short-sighted limitations I had placed on it. The film had elements of raunchiness and was exceedingly funny, but it was also refreshing in its exploration of the complex modern polyamorous relationship and how masking our insecurities as confidence can only make us who we aren’t, rather than who we are.
Paul (Michael Angelo Covino) is an over-confident and neglectful husband to his wife Julie (Dakota Johnson), but despite their open marriage, this leaves Julie feeling alone. Carrie (Kyle Marvin) is a doormat who lives to love his wife, Ashley (Adria Arjona). After Carrie and Ashley encounter an unexpected death of a stranger on their way to visit Paul and Julie, Ashley is left wondering if all she’s ever going to do is exist for the rest of her life. She promptly decides that she is going to tell Carrie a truth she’s been harboring for a while—as noted by a messy pre-written speech she’s had ready for months in her journal—and finally ask for a divorce.
When Julie and Carrie become intimately involved after their respective partners drift apart, the once-separate couples become increasingly entangled, dragging everyone who comes into contact with them into their mess. The story itself is divided into six distinct articles, each appropriately titled using legal divorce terminology. The fast-paced scenes and rapid transitions through time never allow us to fully process the fallout of each character’s actions or give us a chance to ask what could happen next. This method of storytelling showcases all four partners’ attempts to project confidence in their respective open relationships, while failing to conceal their insecurities beneath the surface. Although the movie’s topic is somber, its delivery is bright and playful, using the vehicle of a traditional rom-com to present modern dating ideology.
In the end, “Splitsville” is more than just a film that comes off as a vanity project. Yes, it’s messy and reassures itself as a rom-com, but it’s also real. Yet most impressively, it’s revitalizing, effortlessly walking the line between comedy and genuine emotion. In an interview with Deadline, Kyle Marvin stated, “the studio sort of system and the bigger movies, I think there’s a necessity to make safer choices. And I think that’s not what we’re interested in. I think we’re interested in choices that are questionable and things that are a little more provocative.”
“Splitsville” is funnier than it is deep, but with this taking my vote as funniest movie of the year so far, it’s remarkable that it’s close.
