YNOT at the Movies

Can an open relationship really be the solution to keeping a marriage together? "Splitsville" (USA 2025 | 110 min.) treats the idea as a case study, only to spin it into a farcical whirlwind of jealous confessions, romantic crossovers, and chaotic brawls. The question might be provocative, but the film's answer is buried beneath so much noise that it's hard to take seriously.

The chaos begins when Ashley (Adria Arjona) abruptly tells her husband Carey (Kyle Marvin) she wants a divorce, triggered by a surreal roadside incident. Carey, stunned and abandoned, sets off alone on a ludicrous trek and scrambles his way to the beachfront home of Paul (Michael Angelo Covino) and Julie (Dakota Johnson). There, he discovers that Paul and Julie's supposedly stable marriage is sustained by an open arrangement. What follows is a whirlwind of shifting affections, jealous meltdowns, and a climactic brawl that leaves both the house and the relationships in ruins.

The trouble is, none of it feels especially believable. The four leads rarely convince as close friends, and their romantic chemistry is thin at best. Their sudden willingness to switch partners feels less like emotional evolution and more like narrative convenience, reducing them to cartoonish figures rather than complex, relatable adults. Instead of exploring the emotional stakes of non-monogamy, the film leans into slapstick and spectacle.

Occasionally, the film gestures toward deeper themes—love's fragility, the volatility of open relationships, the erosion of boundaries among friends—but these ideas are fleeting. They're quickly buried beneath pratfalls, shouting matches, and scenes that confuse escalation with insight. The farce is physical and energetic, but it plays louder than it plays smarter.

Directed by Michael Angelo Covino, co-written and co-starring by Kyle Marvin, the film feels like a personal project that might've benefited from a more dynamic cast. Both actors bring a certain sincerity, but their performances lack the emotional texture and spontaneity needed to make the relationships feel real. With stronger leads, the film might have found the emotional core it keeps gesturing toward, but never quite reaches.

Ultimately, this is a noisy, frenzied portrait of marital collapse that raises a compelling question but never slows down long enough to answer it. It's vigorous, yes—but also hollow.

"Splitsville" opens in theaters on Friday, August 29, 2025.