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Streaming: Splitsville (2025) by Michael Angelo Covino: Open Relationships, Chaos, and Millennial Mayhem

Unromantic Comedy of the Year

Splitsville is a darkly comedic exploration of marriage, friendship, and the chaos that comes when boundaries blur. Directed by Michael Angelo Covino and co-written with Kyle Marvin, the film follows Carey (Kyle Marvin), a good-natured man reeling from his wife Ashley’s (Adria Arjona) request for a divorce. Seeking refuge, he turns to his closest friends, Julie (Dakota Johnson) and Paul (Covino), whose seemingly perfect open marriage serves as a model for “modern love.” But when Carey crosses a line, the delicate balance of their relationship unravels, setting off a chain reaction of confrontations, betrayals, and absurdly funny chaos. The result is an R-rated, fast-paced, character-driven comedy that blends screwball energy with painfully relatable drama.

Why to Recommend Movie: A Fresh Spin on Modern Romance

  • Comedic Chemistry: The ensemble cast — led by Dakota Johnson, Adria Arjona, Kyle Marvin, and Covino — deliver sharp, self-aware performances that keep the humor grounded in emotional truth.

  • Smart Writing: Covino and Marvin’s screenplay uses humor to explore themes of commitment, intimacy, and emotional immaturity without ever taking itself too seriously.

  • Fast, Energetic Pacing: The film’s tight 104-minute runtime keeps the tension and laughs rolling, never allowing the narrative to stall.

  • R-Rated Honesty: Its frank handling of sexuality and relationships feels bold and refreshing, offering a comedy that doesn’t shy away from awkwardness or discomfort.

These elements make Splitsville a standout for audiences craving intelligent, edgy comedy that digs into the complications of modern love and friendship.

What is the Trend Followed: Chaotic Ensemble Comedies

Splitsville fits squarely within the trend of millennial and Gen-Z relationship comedies that blur the line between cringe humor and heartfelt drama.

  • Open Relationship Representation: Like shows such as You Me Her and movies like The Overnight, it dives into the logistics — and emotional fallout — of nontraditional arrangements.

  • “Unromantic Comedy” Subgenre: Much like Fleabag or Obvious Child, it challenges the expectations of traditional rom-coms, letting its characters be messy, selfish, and human.

  • Millennial Self-Awareness: The film is highly meta in its humor, often making fun of the very archetypes it portrays, appealing to audiences who enjoy sly, self-referential comedy.

Its sharp satire of polyamory culture, divorce, and modern dating makes it both of-the-moment and timelessly funny.

Director’s Vision: Covino’s Chaos With Heart

  • Balanced Tone: Michael Angelo Covino blends chaotic humor with heartfelt emotional beats, ensuring the film never tips fully into farce or drama but instead maintains a compelling tension.

  • Character-Focused Camera Work: The direction often lingers on awkward silences and charged glances, highlighting the inner turmoil behind the characters’ outbursts.

  • Physical Comedy Meets Emotional Comedy: Covino choreographs his actors’ movements with precision, using physical humor to amplify emotional conflict — a signature style also seen in his previous work, The Climb.

  • Screwball Energy: The movie has a kinetic flow, with arguments and revelations colliding like verbal ping-pong matches, keeping viewers engaged until the final scene.

This directorial approach ensures Splitsville stays funny without losing sight of its deeper emotional core.

Themes: Love, Boundaries, and Emotional Maturity

  • Consequences of Crossing Lines: The film explores what happens when trust is breached and intimacy shared too freely.

  • Friendship and Codependency: It asks whether friendships can survive when personal relationships implode, highlighting the complicated overlap between romantic and platonic love.

  • Modern Love’s Messiness: It reflects on the pressures of “having it all” in modern romance — freedom, commitment, and happiness — and whether those ideals are even compatible.

  • Growth Through Chaos: By the end, characters are forced to confront their own immaturity, offering a bittersweet but satisfying emotional payoff.

These layered themes elevate Splitsville from a simple comedy to a thoughtful, if chaotic, meditation on how we love today.

Key Success Factors: Why It Works

  • All-Star Cast: Dakota Johnson and Adria Arjona shine, bringing charisma and emotional depth to their roles, while Covino and Marvin bring humor and authenticity.

  • Witty, Relatable Writing: The dialogue captures the way real people fight, joke, and confess — often in the same breath.

  • Balance of Comedy and Cringe: The humor is outrageous but never loses touch with real emotional stakes, making the laughs both uncomfortable and cathartic.

  • Visual Style: Shot on 35mm with a warm, old-school aesthetic, the film has a cinematic intimacy that enhances its emotional resonance.

These factors make it a film that will resonate with fans of indie comedies and mainstream audiences alike.

Awards & Nominations: Early Buzz

While not a heavy awards contender yet, Splitsville has been praised on the festival circuit for its writing and ensemble performances. It could be a sleeper contender for screenplay categories in comedy-focused awards and independent film honors.

Critics Reception: Praise for Sharp Humor and Character Chaos

  • Variety: Called it “a hilarious, messy unromantic comedy with a sharp edge and a surprisingly tender core.”

  • IndieWire: Praised its ability to “balance chaotic humor with honest emotion,” labeling it “a millennial screwball for the modern age.”

  • The Playlist: Highlighted Dakota Johnson’s performance as “effortlessly magnetic,” saying she steals every scene she’s in.

  • The Wrap: Noted the film’s “fast, funny, and fearless approach to relationships” as one of its biggest strengths.

Overall, critics agree Splitsville is both laugh-out-loud funny and emotionally perceptive, even when its characters are at their worst.

Reviews: Audience Reactions

  • Fans of The Climb: Viewers familiar with Covino and Marvin’s previous work praised the film’s continuation of their unique comedic voice.

  • General Audiences: Some found the characters frustrating and unlikeable, while others found that to be part of the film’s charm, celebrating its refusal to sugarcoat messy dynamics.

  • Comedy Lovers: The fight sequences and over-the-top scenarios have been especially well-received, with some calling it “the year’s funniest ensemble film.”

Movie Trend: Millennial Rom-Com Reinvention

Splitsville joins the growing list of “anti-rom-coms” that turn the genre on its head, such as Shiva Baby and Cha Cha Real Smooth, offering humor for those tired of cookie-cutter love stories.

Social Trend: Conversations About Open Relationships

The film taps into the rising cultural discourse around non-monogamy, ethical polyamory, and emotional boundaries, using comedy to open up discussion about how love and loyalty are defined in modern society.

Final Verdict: Chaotic, Hilarious, and Surprisingly Thoughtful

Splitsville is a wild, unromantic comedy about the messiness of love and friendship, packed with sharp humor and standout performances. It’s perfect for audiences who enjoy smart, chaotic comedies that aren’t afraid to make their characters flawed, unhinged, and painfully relatable.


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