After his wife asks for a divorce, a good-natured husband turns to his close friends for support. He’s shocked to discover their secret to happiness is an open marriage; that is, until he crosses the line and throws all of their lives into chaos. A film by Michael Angelo Covino, starring Dakota Johnson, Adria Arjona, Kyle Marvin, Michael Angelo Covino, Nicholas Braun, David Castañeda, O-T Fagbenle, Charlie Gillespie, and Simon Webster.
SPLITSVILLE
Michael Angelo Covino
(2025)
While driving to the beach house with his wife Ashley (Adria Arjona), Carey (Kyle Marvin) mentions that they’ll be doing pottery lessons together on Saturday. Ashley looks frustrated, reminding him that she specifically asked him not to. Carey insists he thought she wanted them to try new experiences. Ashley clarifies that she meant sexual experiences, adding that pottery isn’t an experience, it’s just an activity. Moments later, the couple watches as a car skids past them before crashing and flipping over on the side of the road.
Carey quickly pulls over and they both rush to the crashed vehicle. They find a man still buckled in the driver’s seat, disoriented from the impact. He asks for his wife, but the passenger seat is empty. Ashley discovers a woman lying nearby who had been thrown from the car and shouts to Carey that she isn’t breathing. Carey urges Ashley to start CPR, but despite her efforts, the woman doesn’t survive.
The traumatic experience leaves Ashley shaken and forces her to reflect on her own life. She confides in Carey that she feels there was so much the woman never got to do. As they continue driving, Ashley tells Carey that she’s been unfaithful and wants a divorce. Caught off guard, Carey insists he doesn’t want a divorce, saying he forgives her and they can work things out. But Ashley has already made up her mind. When she begins reading a letter from her notebook that explains why she needs the divorce, Carey suddenly opens the car door and runs off across a field before she can finish.
Carey hilariously treks on foot through a grass field, across railway tracks, up a densely shrubbed hill, through woods, along a dirt road, across a swamp, and through a lake before finally arriving at the beach house where his best friend Paul (Michael Angelo Covino) and Paul’s wife Julie (Dakota Johnson) are staying with their son Russ (Simon Webster). Carey breaks the news to Paul and Julie that Ashley wants a divorce. Julie sympathetically invites Carey inside to shower and get cleaned up. She mentions that Ashley came by a couple of hours earlier to drop off his bag and then left.
Later that evening, Paul tries to console Carey, suggesting that cheating only feels like a big deal, but if he decides it’s okay, then it isn’t really cheating. Paul then casually reveals that he and Julie have an open relationship. Carey is stunned when Julie confirms they’re not monogamous, explaining that Paul is free to do what he wants and she prefers not to know the details. However, if she ever wants to know, all she has to do is ask and Paul will be honest with her. Paul is quick to point out that it’s not polyamory since he doesn’t have another family. Julie elaborates that they love each other, and love encompasses the physical, emotional, and spiritual. They believe emotional and spiritual connections matter most. When Carey asks whose idea it was, Julie simply replies that it was a mutual decision.
The next evening while Paul is away, Julie opens up to Carey about how she and Paul were supposed to use this trip to spend real time with their son. She’s frustrated that Paul keeps returning to the city. When Carey tries to reassure her that Paul is probably just busy with work, Julie smiles and reveals that Paul isn’t actually working. She believes that whenever Paul claims he’s going to the city for work, he’s really fucking someone. She insists she’s fine with that since they both agreed it’s allowed. What bothers her is when it impacts their son and Paul prioritizes being there over being here with them. Later that night, Julie kisses Carey. He kisses her back and they end up sleeping together.
The next day while Julie takes Russ out on a canoe ride, Carey casually mentions to Paul that he slept with Julie the night before, figuring he should be honest with his best friend given their open relationship. Paul becomes furious and slaps Carey across the face. Carey slaps him back. The confrontation quickly escalates into an all-out brawl as Paul continues attacking Carey, who defends himself by fighting back.
When Julie and Russ return to the house, both Paul and Carey are forced to reflect on what they did and apologize. Paul apologizes for overreacting to something he had no right to be angry about, while Carey expresses regret for hurting his best friend. Julie admits she’s also sorry for not realizing she was the cause of their fight. She suggests to Paul that perhaps they should end their open relationship, saying she doesn’t need to be with other people. To her surprise, Paul insists they remain open. He says he’s okay with everything as long as she promises never to sleep with Carey again, and she agrees. Carey also promises not to have sex with Julie again. Everything appears settled until Paul says that he won’t be joining her and Russ at the theme park as promised because he needs to return to the city to close a deal with the Chinese. Convinced he’s making excuses, Julie explodes in anger. She declares that she and Russ will go to Great Thrills tomorrow whether he comes or not and storms out of the room.
Carey returns home and discovers Ashley sleeping with a young bartender named Jackson (Charlie Gillespie). Ashley awkwardly introduces Jackson to her husband. She continues to insist on a divorce and believes Carey would understand if he’d just let her finish reading her letter. Carey tries to persuade Ashley that if sleeping with other people is what she wants, a divorce isn’t necessary. He proposes they try an open relationship instead. Ashley is hesitant at first but agrees when Carey admits he’s already slept with someone.
Directed by American filmmaker Michael Angelo Covino from a screenplay he co-wrote with Kyle Marvin, SPLITSVILLE is a comedy about a heartbroken man whose wife confesses to infidelity and asks for a divorce. He turns to his best friend’s seemingly perfect marriage for comfort, only to learn that an open relationship is what keeps them happy.
The cast delivers strong performances across the board, with standout work from Dakota Johnson, Kyle Marvin, and Charlie Gillespie. Johnson proves herself to be genuinely funny and deserves far more recognition for her comedy work, especially her impeccable deadpan delivery. Gillespie brings a delightful quirkiness to his character, playing him as almost too naive for the world. His character adds color to the narrative through well-timed subplots and wonderfully landed punchlines.
I wish Adria Arjona’s character, Ashley, was more fleshed out. She often feels underdeveloped, largely because she has far less screen time than the other leads. I was never quite convinced why she wanted Carey back in the first place. Despite some unexplained plot holes and flaws (like how Julie can afford to raise Russ alone; is she a pottery artist? The film never confirms it), the movie remains hilariously entertaining from start to finish. The cinematography is stunning, especially the long, continuous take that perfectly captures the chaotic energy of the apartment, which is filled with Ashley’s part-time lovers.
SPLITSVILLE premiered at Festival de Cannes on 19 May 2025. The film had a limited theatrical release in the United States on 22 August 2025, before expanding nationwide on 5 September.
