Sydney Film Festival 2025 - Splitsville

 “I don’t want a divorce. Nobody wants a divorce. Well, she wants a divorce…”

Slap-fight filled, immensely enjoyable and messily non-monogamous, Splitsville is a thoroughly modern secular rom-com about open relationships and the incredibly expected emotional results that happen when people try and remove emotions from inherently emotional activities and commitments, that gets great laughs out of its comedy of manners. 

Discussion Points:

What a delightfully light and fun film to end out the Sydney Film Festival 2025 with. It may be pretty conventional and follow every expected plot beat, but it’s the great ensemble led by director-actor-writer Michael Angelo Covino and writer-actor Kyle Marvin opposite the always stunning Dakota Johnson and Adria Arjona that really elevates this. Also nice that the director and writer as co-stars are like “yeah we’re gonna cast ourselves opposite two absolutely beautiful sex symbols” but then they’re the ones doing all the nudity and made to look like complete oafish bumbling lovelorn fools. Class act honestly. The humour and style definitely feel like a high-budget TV show which gives it a really comfortable and inviting atmosphere. Super easy to watch and laugh along with, with the moments of physical comedy being my personal highlight! I would happily watch Covino and Marvin slap fight and wrestle around on the ground for hours. While the film does wrap up a little too neatly for my taste and doesn’t really hold its characters accountable for their actions and mistakes, I still really enjoyed this as a brisk end to this years SFF! Here’s to next year!