Splitsville (2025) Review!!

Synopsis – When Ashley asks for a divorce, the good-natured Carey runs to his friends, Julie and Paul, for support. Their secret to happiness is an open marriage; that is, until Carey crosses the line and throws all of their relationships into chaos.

My Take – A lot is being said about modern romance nowadays in celluloid, both hilarious and tragic, particularly about dysfunctional couples who are struggling to grapple with love, sex, marriage, divorce, and everything in between.

Enter this new so-called “unromantic comedy” from longtime friends and writing partners Kyle Marvin and Michael Angelo Covino who bring their own take on the absurdity and emotional chaos of modern relationships, where breakups rarely feel final and emotional closure is often a moving target.

Framed as a bracing screwball comedy, their film uses the blemish of two mixed-up couples, who really don’t know what the hell they want out of love and marriage, especially the men, to power a hilarious farce that often feels like it’s spiraling out of control even as it reveals some raw truths about the way we handle our most intimate relationships.

Resulting in one of the funniest films of the year that despite being grounded in the real world, is full of ridiculous moments, silly bantering, and about the consequences that occur when vulnerable individuals are pushed to their breaking points.

It helps that is quite well-acted, clever in its construction and comedic tension, and most importantly, hardly willing to compromise on the idiosyncrasies both director/star Covino and co-writer/star Marvin displayed in the impressively helmed debut feature, The Climb (2019). With an added fresh jolt of energy from the amazing presence of Dakota Johnson and Adria Arjona, the film manages to makes us laugh and think in one fell swoop.

Divided into several chapters named after stipulations in a divorce contract, the story follows two married couples. Carey (Kyle Marvin) and Ashley (Adria Arjona), who are on their way to visit their friends Julie (Dakota Johnson) and Paul (Michael Angelo Covino). But after a freak occurrence on the highway, Ashley ends up admitting that she’s been unfaithful and wants a divorce. Shocked by her admittance, Carey quite literally runs away from the situation, trekking all the way to Julie and Paul to talk about it. Where he discovers that the two have preserved their relationship by becoming an open couple and being more flexible with the physical aspect.

However, trouble begins when Paul heads to Manhattan for work the next day, and Carey and Julie end up sleeping together, despite one couple having thought they had an understanding. And as time passes, various combinations of these couples and others form, serving as an ultimate test to determine who truly has feelings for whom.

The rest of the film follows what happens to the couples as they drift away from their significant others, casting aside monogamy and venturing toward parts unknown.

The situations they face, whether it’s Ashley housing a litany of part-time lovers in the apartment she still shares with Carey, or Paul screwing up both his business and marriage after he finds out Julie cheated on him gives rise to plenty of comic moments. These include an absolutely bonkers early fight scene between the two best friends that director Covino stages hilariously, using the interiors of Paul’s luxury home as a battleground where any household item can become a weapon.

As the dynamics of this quartet maximize and become more challenging, the script transitions to one that enables us to understand all the characters as individuals. Not surprisingly, it’s the men who have the hardest time reconciling their own feelings, expressing themselves through half-hearted violence or man-childish pouting.

It all spins madly and madly around, leaping from one laugh-out-loud moment to another, and while the film may not possess enough emotional resonance to make it really stick, it will still leave you buzzing with laughter over the absurdity of the situation and about the power of love, and how it can make us do crazy things.

Sure, one of the film’s biggest gambit is that it tests the audience’s believability. For example, it is never really clear why these two gorgeous, independent women are with these knowingly pathetic men, whose egos are ultimately the center of the joke. And while the film’s struggles to balance a bit between farce and sincerity in the final two acts, the narrative continues to stay on track mostly due to the cast’s chemistry.

Performance wise, Kyle Marvin shines as a guy who seems to finds himself easily susceptible to doing what he thinks is right in the moment, despite having a horrible moral compass. Michael Angelo Covino is raw and vulnerable in his role and has a great time projecting passion into the role he plays. Dakota Johnson delivers a truly stunning turn that is both powerful and nuanced, capturing the complexities of her character with remarkable skill. Her presence on screen is captivating and is a major reason why the film works.

Adria Arjona continues her remarkable hot streak and this is just another example of how good she is right now. Her comedic timing is also exceptional here, which is impressive. Nicholas Braun, O-T Fagbenle, David Castañeda, and Charlie Gillespie too appear in small roles, leaving lasting impressions. On the whole, ‘Splitsville‘ is a winning indie comedy that is bracing blast from start to finish.