TeaTime Pictures

Splitsville (2025): Non-Monogamous Magnificence

Posted on by Jack Drees

“Splitsville” is directed by Michael Angelo Covino (The Climb, The Self Tape), who also has a writing credit and stars in the film as Paul. Joining him in the cast are actors including Dakota Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey, Madame Web), Adria Arjona (Morbius, Andor), and Kyle Marvin (WeCrashed, The Climb), the latter of whom also wrote the film. This movie showcases the chaos that ensues after Carey is asked by his wife, Ashley, for a divorce. Following the bombshell, Carey runs into his friends, who he finds out are in an open marriage.

Remember how in August “The Naked Gun” was supposed to be a wakeup call to audiences that supporting movies of its nature would allow for more comedies to play in movie theaters? Well, guess what? I missed it when it came out. It is not that I did not think it would be funny, but I would rather watch the previous “Naked Gun” movies first. Plus, there are plenty of other standalone comedies like this one that I thought were a higher priority. “Splitsville” not only looked funny, but also kind of sexy. The concept lends itself to both adjectives being met. I can safely say “Splitsville” is consistently hysterical and often delivers a pinch of sensuality.

Despite this film heavily involving sex and partners, never once does it feel overly pornographic. There are various examples of nudity throughout the film, but each time nudity is shown on screen, it serves a purpose, and never flaunts any private parts. Well, except for one scene in the beginning, but it is more for a laugh than anything else. While characters do have sex in the film, never once does the film feel the need to showcase a graphic scene of said activity. Everything in this film, including the nudity, serves a purpose.

The screenplay for “Splitsville” is well done. Overall, I found it to be layered, unpredictable, and robustly structured. Other than the film at a certain point introducing so many elements at once that it is sometimes difficult to keep up, I cannot name any other glaring issues at the top of my head. I like all the characters, there is plenty of decent comedy, and each element of this film feels necessary. The moment one thing is introduced, even if it is something really small, it ends up playing an integral role that enhances the final product. 

Dakota Johnson is one of the most “interesting” actresses working today. I am not going to pretend I am the biggest fan of hers. Is she capable of giving a good performance? Sure. When given the right script and proper direction, she can deliver a “Daddio,” but sometimes she will give something as flat as “Materialists.” Thankfully, “Splitsville” does her favors, Johnson is quite good in this film as Julie. Unlike her experience of making “Madame Web,” I could tell Johnson, like everyone else in the cast, was having a lot of fun on set. Johnson plays an inviting, sometimes sensual, complicated character. To my pleasant surprise, I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know about Julie’s past. Johnson sings in her role.

And she is not alone when it comes to giving a good performance. Frankly, I do not have a problem with a single person in the entire cast. The film does not have many big names. Sure, Adria Arjona is growing in popularity with the success of “Andor,” but the film is quite low in terms of star power. But what this film lacks in name recognition, it makes up for in talent.

Despite being exposed to their previous work, Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin are names I did not know much about before this project. That said, watching these two do what they do on and off camera makes me pumped up to see whatever it is they do next. Michael Angelo Covino writes, directs, produces, and stars in this film as Paul. It is clear that his passion for this project is shining through in each frame. His character also has palatable chemistry with Dakota Johnson’s Julie. The two play off each other well.

Kyle Marvin plays this film’s protagonist, Carey. Kyle Marvin is a name that I have heard before, but completely forgot about before writing this review. Marvin previously directed “80 for Brady,” which ended up on my 2023 worst movies of the year list. “Splitsville” seems to showcase much more of Marvin’s abilities as a comedic force. Marvin does a great job at not only bringing humor into each scene but also occasionally balancing his performance when the film gets into some heavier moments.

Also, major shoutout to the young and talented Simon Webster, who gives an outstanding performance as Russ. Webster is given plenty to do, and he delivers in each scene. He is also connected to one of my favorite gags in the film, particularly one involving jet skis. I will not say more for those who have yet to watch the movie, but you will know what I am talking about once you see it.

“Splitsville,” to a degree, lives up to its name. While I cannot confirm that my sides split from laughing so hard, I think the film is still incredibly funny. Almost every joke feels naturally placed. There are only one or two jokes in the film that I thought lacked some sense of realism. Well, as much realism one can have in a comedy that is… These are jokes that may as well have been inserted solely keep a gag going, but even those got a laugh out of me. The movie delivers a surprising amount of tiny chuckles, especially in the first act. That may sound like a bad thing for a comedy film, but said chuckles are consistent, so in actuality, it works. The film also gave me quite a few bigger laughs to balance things out. “Splitsville” is not the funniest film I have seen this year, “Friendship” still takes the cake, but if you are looking for laughs, “Splitsville” has plenty.

A lot of the laughs come from what I would describe as authentic interactions between multiple characters. The film however does resort to extremes at times, and this includes one moment where Carey and Paul get into a fight. Not only do I buy this fight, but to my surprise, I think it is one of the best directed action sequences of the year. Every shot is as fluid as the next. I have seen action movies where the editor ends up cutting a new shot every microsecond and it sometimes looks shoddy. “Splitsville” is not an action movie, but its signature action scene is well shot, well constructed, and to top it off, it made me laugh. There is an incredibly funny gag involving fish and a bathtub. And that is just scratching the surface of this hilarious one-on-one.

In the end, “Splitsville” is fun, unique, and comes with a phenomenal cast. I cannot name a single person involved with this film who does not put in 110 percent. “Splitsville” is not the funniest comedy of the year, but if you are looking for a good laugh, this film will be there to fulfill that need. The past few months have been a solid run for Neon so far, with the release of this film, “Together,” and one of the year’s highlights for me, “The Life of Chuck.” This distributor is on fire right now. I am going to give “Splitsville” a 7/10.

“Splitsville” is now playing in theaters and is available to rent or buy on VOD.

Thanks for reading this review! My next review is going to be for “The Long Walk!” Stay tuned! Also coming soon, look forward to my thoughts on “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey,” “Him,” “Eleanor the Great,” “The Lost Bus,” and “One Battle After Another.” If you want to see these reviews and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “Splitsville?” What did you think about it? Or, what is your favorite comedy of the year so far? Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!

Daddio (2024): Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn Share Bumps in the Road in This Simple, but Unpredictable Ride

Posted on by Jack Drees

“Daddio” is written and directed by Christy Hall and this is her feature film debut as both a writer and a director. This film stars Dakota Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey, The High Note) and Sean Penn (Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Mystic River) in a film showcasing a cab ride from John F. Kennedy International Airport to midtown Manhattan where two people have deep and honest conversations about their lives.

Before we go any further, for those keeping track, much like how “The Beekeeper” and “Thelma” are two revenge flicks I saw this year showing how people deal with scammers, “Daddio” just so happens to be the second example of a film primarily about two people in a cab ride. The first one, for the record, just so happens to be the French film “Driving Madeleine.” Coincidentally, I reviewed that film right after one of those revenge flicks, “The Beekeeper.” And guess what my last review was before doing this film? “Thelma!” That’s what! How poetic indeed!

With that digression out of the way, “Daddio” snuck up on me last minute. Particularly when I watched an interview with Dakota Johnson on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” last month. This is not the first time this has happened. I remember watching “Four Good Days,” which is an excellent film by the way, mainly because I watched Mila Kunis being interviewed on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” It is nice to know how effectively these kinds of interviews double as both fun conversations and marketing tools. It works, so why fix it?

That said, interview tactics or not, Dakota Johnson very much needed something to get moviegoers back on her good side. On top of being the lead in the “Fifty Shades” films, which assumedly has its audience, but also its fair share of critics, she also just led the pile of schlock known as “Madame Web,” which I think many would agree with me when I say it is one of the worst comic book films ever. It is a film that I said was somehow worse than “Morbius.” And amazingly, it is written by the same duo who wrote “Morbius.” Quite a hot streak, right?! Although if you ask me, Johnson has had her fair share of wins. “The Peanut Butter Falcon” and “The High Note” are two smaller, non-franchise films she did in recent years that I quite enjoyed. “Daddio” is another such example, but I would argue it is even tinier. Because while it is set in various parts of the New York metro area, the whole movie basically takes place in a car. And it is primarily between two characters, at least two characters whose faces we see.

Thankfully, these two characters are well written, concrete, and play off each other beautifully for the film’s entire runtime. I have seen my fair share of road adventure films where we have multiple characters in the car who cannot quite connect the dots to make the ride entertaining for me as a viewer. This film, I would not exactly classify as “entertainment.” Again, it is quite deep and gets you thinking, but my eyes and ears were open whenever the ride was going down so it is technically accurate to say I was quite entertained from start to finish. I was invested in these two’s conversations, Johnson’s uses of her phone, and the little obstacles these two come across as they made their way through the route.

You ever go on the road expecting a typical ride only to find something completely unexpected? I certainly have. Anything from massive traffic to endless road closures to finding random piles of debris in the middle of the road… These have all happened to me at some point in my life. And this movie reminded me of times when I would have those obstacles come my way. Granted, there is an obstacle this movie presents that I cannot really compare to anything I’ve personally encountered. It is something much bigger, perhaps unexpected. But it fascinating to see how these two react to and deal with such a thing in the moment.

One of the things I love about this movie is how it shows the layers of humanity. It shows that there is more to people than meets the eye. When you get a look at someone in your life, or maybe when you talk to someone you’ve never talked to before, you will garner an interpretation or image of that person. This movie shows that what you may think a person could be, while possibly true, is not entirely who they are. Or in some cases, that image you have of a person may not even be true in the slightest. Whether it is an image we make up ourselves or an image we hear from them. Regardless of how true or false the images are amongst our two main characters, I was thoroughly captivated by both of them. I loved getting to know Dakota Johnson’s character, Girlie, from the dialogue and what we see from her on her on her phone. Sean Penn does a really good job encapsulating a man who very much resembles an individual who has seen it all. After all, we find out he has been a cab driver for a long time, he does not have time or motivation for the apps like Uber and Lyft. He’s old school. He is someone who’s simply tired of the way the world’s shifting.

Some of my favorite movies do a good job at taking the ordinary, whether it is a character, a place, or an everyday situation, and turns them into something extraordinary. I sometimes look back at one of my favorite films at 2021, “CODA,” and find myself marveled with how its protagonist’s normality would be seen as abnormal by so many other people. In a different sense, “Daddio” takes one of the most everyday things, a drive, something that just so happens to be in the entire film, by the way, and adds quite a bit to it to make the journey something that stands out a lot more than a simple commute. Things that make the ride interesting, or compelling. Each obstacle had my attention. Each conversation had my investment. Each little thing we learn about these two characters kept my chin up. It is hard to know if a movie like “Daddio” is going to be for everyone. If some of you asked me to explain what this movie is about, chances are you’d question how cinematic it really is. This film is very much about the human condition, the way we think, the way we interpret others. And if you are interested in a story about people, then maybe this film is for you. Frankly, I watched this film partially because I will admit, and I do not know if this reason has a ton of validity to it, I love New York. I thought it would be fun to see a commute from the airport to Manhattan. But this film, to my lack of surprise, delivers much more than that.

One last thing, if you saw “Madame Web” this year and questioned Dakota Johnson’s ability as an actor, I highly recommend you watch “Daddio” because I am convinced this movie will change your mind. Remember what I said earlier, “Madame Web” was written by the same people who wrote “Morbius.” Their track record is not the best. Johnson was not given the finest material, and it shows in the movie. It is like watching George Clooney in “Batman & Robin.” He has proven he can act both before and after that film. But there is much more to his lackluster performance in “Batman & Robin” than how he handles it. Here, Dakota Johnson is given a higher quality script, a deeper character, and a more compelling plot. And as a moviegoer, this movie gave me something too. Compared to “Madame Web,” “Daddio” gave me a greater investment of my time. And that is an investment that should never ever go to waste.

In the end, “Daddio” is a film that I am not sure that many of you reading this are going to see, but please do not let it slip by you. This film features two really good performances of well written characters. I wanted to know as much about these two as the movie would allow me to. The movie is the simplest of ideas, but it is done in such a way that makes for an incredibly engaging journey. Now, if I were to compare “Daddio” to another one I mentioned at the beginning, “Driving Madeleine,” I would probably say I would rather watch “Daddio” a second time before putting on “Driving Madeleine” again. And for those who ask, no, it is not because I am a simpleton who wants the characters in the movie to speak English. If anything, it is because “Daddio” does such a great job at fleshing out its leads and makes the most of every situation it presents. This is nothing against “Driving Madeleine.” In fact, if you have not seen that film, I would recommend it. Much like “Daddio,” “Driving Madeleine” is an effective showcase of what it means to be human. But if you asked me to pick between the two, and for all I know, this could be recency bias, I currently find “Daddio” to be more appealing. But if you were to watch either of these films, you would not be wasting your time. I am going to give “Daddio” an 8/10.

“Daddio” is now playing in theaters. Tickets are available now.

Thanks for reading this review! If you liked this review, I have more coming! Stay tuned for my thoughts on “A Quiet Place: Day One,” “MaXXXine,” “Twisters,” “Deadpool & Wolverine,” and “Kinds of Kindness.” If you want to see these reviews and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “Daddio?” What did you think about it? Or, what is the craziest car ride you’ve ever had? Tell me about it down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!