A One Mann’s Movies review of “Splitsville”. (2026, 3.5*, 15).
I must admit that I rather enjoyed this edgy, risqué darkly-funny comedy, despite finding no redeeming features in any of the characters. Virtually everyone lies and cheats and is beastly to each other! So it won’t be for you if you are not into your comedy being slightly squirm-inducing. In that sense, it reminded me a lot of last year’s Andrew DeYoung comedy “Friendship” and the more recent “Twinless“.
One Mann’s Movies Rating:
Plot:
Ashley (Adria Arjona) and Carey (Kyle Marvin) have only been married for 14 months but the over-sexed Ashley has already been unfaithful numerous times and decides she wants out to ‘find herself’. Carey goes to the luxurious lake-side house of his long-term friend Paul (Michael Angelo Covino), a property-developer, to cry on his shoulder. But he discovers that Paul and his wife Julie (Dakota Johnson) have an open marriage, where they can sleep with anyone they like, without guilt or recrimination. Or so it seems…
Certification:
UK: 15; US: R. (From the BBFC website: “Very strong language, strong sex references, nudity”.)
Talent:
Starring: Dakota Johnson, Adria Arjona, Kyle Marvin, Michael Angelo Covino, Simon Webster, Charlie Gillespie, David Castañeda, O-T Fagbenle, Nahéma Ricci, Nicholas Braun.
Directed by: Michael Angelo Covino.
Written by: Michael Angelo Covino & Kyle Marvin.
Running Time: 1h 44m.
Review:
Positives:
- This one broke through the 6 laughs test with some very funny sequences and one liners.
- An extended and destructive fight between Paul and Carey goes on for a good ten minutes and reminded me of the incompetent fisticuffs between Colin Firth and Hugh Grant in “Bridget Jones’s Diary”.
- One of my grandson’s favourite bedtime storybooks used to be “You Can’t Take An Elephant on a Bus” by Patricia Cleveland-Peck and those of you who know the book might remember that the mode of transport in the finale that unites all the animals is that they can all ride on a rollercoaster. Well, a sequence in this film could be subtitled “You can’t take goldfish on a rollercoaster”! Very funny indeed!
- There is a lovely extended cameo by Nicholas Braun (the hapless Greg from “Succession”) playing a mentalist at a birthday party who really does have the gift! His asides to each of the characters, knowing what everyone else is thinking or doing, are priceless.
- A great final line comes from the anarchic young son Russ (Simon Webster) who, as he’s nicking a motorboat, comments “You never know the value of a boat until you’ve sunk it”.
- The drama is also good and compelling. How DO couples that swing or have open marriages deal with the inevitable comparisons of sexual performance and – in this case – “dick size”? Overall, it plays as less of an advertisement for the joys of open marriage and more as a cautionary tale for how things can go horribly wrong.
Negatives:
- The direction (by Michael Angelo Covino, who plays Paul) feels a little ill-disciplined at times. We sometimes spend too long in a particular scene (an extended, albeit cleverly edited, montage of life in Ashley and Carey’s polyamorous flat, for example). A bit of tightening up would have been welcomed. There’s a really good 90 minute film in this 104 minute clothing.
- A car crash in the pre-title sequence feels unexplained. Was the crash caused by Ashley giving Carey a hand-job while driving? In which case, why are they not under police questioning/arrest?
- Not, I hope you understand, that *I* go to the cinema with this thought in mind. But any men making a beeline for this film because they see it stars both Dakota Johnson and Adria Arjona AND has “strong sex references and nudity” in the BBFC description might be in for a bit of a disappointment. Yes, we see the shapely Ms Arjona in underwear and a brief bra-less shot from behind. But that’s basically it for female nude-content. On the other hand, we see a LOT of Kyle Marvin’s over-sized penis, or actually as this interview clip reveals, not actually his over-sized penis: sorry to disabuse you of this ladies!
- I thought the poster looked cheap and amateurish and rather lets the film down.
Summary Thoughts:
Once again, Neon show that they can give A24 a run for their money in producing slightly edgy and uncomfortable films. If you like your humour dark and slightly rude, then this is a good one for you. I do, and I found it really engaging albeit a little bit chaotic.
Where to watch?
Trailer:
The trailer for the film is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrdSQSLD63Q. (Note that this is the red band trailer, so NSFW.)
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