Splitsville

Directed by Michael Angelo Covino, Splitsville as chaos ensues among two couples (Dakota Johnson’s Julie and Covino’s Paul, and Adria Arjona’s Ashley and Kyle Marvin’s Carey) in the wake of a polyamory suggestion. Filmmaker Covino, armed with his and Marvin’s screenplay, does a terrific job of initially capturing the viewer’s interest and attention, as Splitsville opens with a wildly over-the-top sequence that seems to be laying the groundwork for a less-than-subtle comedy – with the promising vibe certainly heightened by the terrific efforts of a uniformly compelling cast. And while the picture’s first half contains no shortage of laugh-out-loud, gleefully broad set-pieces (eg Carey attempts to ride a roller coaster while holding several bagged goldfish), Splitsville progresses into a hit-and-miss midsection that ultimately wreaks havoc on the movie’s overall impact – with the somewhat underwhelming atmosphere compounded by an overly complicated structure (ie the character relationships begin to become a little headscratching). Still, Splitsville is, for the most part, a satisfying endeavor that generally falls right in line with Covino’s debut feature, 2019’s The Climb.

**1/2 out of ****