Oct. 17, 2025
Redefining Love: The Chaotic Connections of 'Splitsville'
In this episode of *Movies First*, the Chris and Jessica dive deep into the unconventional relationship drama *Splitsville*, where a fatal car crash serves as the catalyst for a series of unexpected confessions and bizarre friendships. With Kyle Marvin's portrayal of Carrie, a man grappling with the disintegration of his seemingly perfect marriage, the film challenges traditional narratives around infidelity and modern relationships.
Listeners will be captivated by the film's exploration of dual narratives: Carrie's crumbling marriage to Ashley, played by Adrian Arjona, juxtaposed against the equally flawed open marriage of Paul and Julie. The hosts dissect how the film cleverly subverts expectations, revealing the complexities of each character's choices and the emotional undercurrents that drive their actions. Dakota Johnson's portrayal of Julie adds a rich layer of frustration and depth, making her connection with Carrie all the more compelling.
The episode highlights the film's unique ability to blend humor with poignant moments, creating a narrative that feels both absurd and relatable. The hosts discuss how the cinematography by Adam Newport Berra elevates the storytelling, capturing the chaos of relationships in visually striking ways. From masterfully framed dinner scenes to moments of profound vulnerability, *Splitsville* presents a fresh take on the messiness of love and connection.
With a solid rating of 8 out of 10, *Splitsville* stands out as a thought-provoking exploration of what it means to navigate modern relationships, reminding us that authenticity often lies in the chaos. Join the hosts as they celebrate this darkly comedic film that pushes boundaries and invites us to reconsider our preconceptions about love and commitment.
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To access the Movies First reviews archive visit our website at www.bitesz.com/podcast/movies-first
To access the Movies First reviews archive visit our website at www.bitesz.com/podcast/movies-first
WEBVTT
0
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.120
Chris: Marriage breakdowns in movies usually follow
1
00:00:02.120 --> 00:00:04.640
a predictable path. But what happens when a
2
00:00:04.640 --> 00:00:06.680
fatal car crash leads to infidelity
3
00:00:06.680 --> 00:00:08.760
confessions, and the husband starts
4
00:00:08.760 --> 00:00:10.720
befriending all of his wife's new lovers?
5
00:00:11.440 --> 00:00:13.720
That's the wild premise behind Splitsville.
6
00:00:13.720 --> 00:00:15.840
That's completely redefining the relationship
7
00:00:15.840 --> 00:00:16.720
drama genre.
8
00:00:17.360 --> 00:00:19.400
Jessica: Let me tell you what grabbed me immediately
9
00:00:19.400 --> 00:00:21.800
about this film. The way it uses that
10
00:00:21.800 --> 00:00:24.000
traumatic catalyst to unleash all these
11
00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:26.730
hidden relationship dynamics. It's like
12
00:00:26.730 --> 00:00:29.050
watching a psychological experiment unfold in
13
00:00:29.050 --> 00:00:29.650
real time.
14
00:00:30.290 --> 00:00:32.530
Chris: Well, that's exactly what makes this film so
15
00:00:32.530 --> 00:00:35.170
fascinating. Here's Carrie, played
16
00:00:35.170 --> 00:00:37.770
brilliantly by Kyle Marvin, thinking he's got
17
00:00:37.770 --> 00:00:40.770
this perfect marriage with Ashley, and boom,
18
00:00:41.250 --> 00:00:43.850
one car accident later, his entire world
19
00:00:43.850 --> 00:00:46.490
implodes. The interesting thing is how the
20
00:00:46.490 --> 00:00:49.130
trauma becomes this gateway to exploring
21
00:00:49.130 --> 00:00:51.330
different kinds of modern relationships.
22
00:00:52.230 --> 00:00:54.230
Jessica: Speaking of modern relationships, the
23
00:00:54.230 --> 00:00:56.030
parallel between the two couples is
24
00:00:56.030 --> 00:00:58.950
absolutely mind bending. You've got this
25
00:00:58.950 --> 00:01:00.950
traditional marriage falling apart next to
26
00:01:00.950 --> 00:01:02.990
this supposedly progressive open marriage
27
00:01:02.990 --> 00:01:04.470
that's equally dysfunctional.
28
00:01:05.510 --> 00:01:06.990
Chris: You know what's really clever about that
29
00:01:06.990 --> 00:01:09.190
setup? It completely challenges our
30
00:01:09.190 --> 00:01:11.190
assumptions about relationship structures.
31
00:01:11.910 --> 00:01:14.510
Like, here's Paul and Julie with their open
32
00:01:14.510 --> 00:01:16.270
marriage that's supposed to be so
33
00:01:16.270 --> 00:01:18.990
enlightened, but Paul's basically checked out
34
00:01:18.990 --> 00:01:21.510
of parenting while Julie's stuck handling
35
00:01:21.510 --> 00:01:22.350
everything at home.
36
00:01:22.560 --> 00:01:24.840
Jessica: and the way Dakota Johnson portrays Julie's
37
00:01:24.840 --> 00:01:26.880
frustration just hits different, doesn't it?
38
00:01:27.600 --> 00:01:29.640
You can see all these layers of resentment
39
00:01:29.640 --> 00:01:31.680
building up beneath her composed exterior.
40
00:01:33.040 --> 00:01:34.800
Chris: M that's exactly what makes her eventual
41
00:01:34.800 --> 00:01:37.560
connection with Carrie so compelling. Here's
42
00:01:37.560 --> 00:01:39.680
this guy who's technically the more
43
00:01:39.680 --> 00:01:42.000
traditional husband, but he's actually more
44
00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:44.200
present and emotionally available than Paul
45
00:01:44.200 --> 00:01:45.760
with all his progressive ideals.
46
00:01:46.410 --> 00:01:48.530
And let's talk about how Kyle Marvin manages
47
00:01:48.530 --> 00:01:51.090
to make Carrie sympathetic even while he's
48
00:01:51.090 --> 00:01:53.290
making these absolutely wild choices.
49
00:01:54.090 --> 00:01:56.450
Jessica: Well, how does someone even pull off playing
50
00:01:56.450 --> 00:01:58.530
a character who befriends all of his wife's
51
00:01:58.530 --> 00:02:00.290
new lovers without coming across as
52
00:02:00.290 --> 00:02:01.450
completely unhinged?
53
00:02:02.730 --> 00:02:05.730
Chris: That's the genius of the performance and the
54
00:02:05.730 --> 00:02:08.090
writing. They take this premise that could
55
00:02:08.090 --> 00:02:10.810
easily veer into cringe territory and
56
00:02:10.810 --> 00:02:13.210
somehow make it this fascinating exploration
57
00:02:13.370 --> 00:02:15.850
of how people process grief and betrayal.
58
00:02:16.730 --> 00:02:18.970
The way Carrey transforms his pain into these
59
00:02:18.970 --> 00:02:21.770
bizarre new connections is both hilarious
60
00:02:22.010 --> 00:02:23.610
and weirdly touching.
61
00:02:24.570 --> 00:02:26.930
Jessica: The visual style really elevates all these
62
00:02:26.930 --> 00:02:28.650
complex emotional beats too.
63
00:02:29.690 --> 00:02:32.410
Adam Newport Berra's cinematography gives
64
00:02:32.410 --> 00:02:35.090
everything this almost artistic quality that
65
00:02:35.090 --> 00:02:37.010
you don't usually see in relationship
66
00:02:37.010 --> 00:02:37.610
comedies.
67
00:02:38.410 --> 00:02:40.690
Chris: Oh, man, those scenes where Carrie's
68
00:02:40.690 --> 00:02:43.140
interacting with Ashley's new partners are
69
00:02:43.140 --> 00:02:45.980
just masterfully framed. There's this one
70
00:02:45.980 --> 00:02:47.900
shot, you know, the one where he's Cooking
71
00:02:47.900 --> 00:02:50.180
dinner for everyone. It's like this perfect
72
00:02:50.180 --> 00:02:52.140
visual metaphor for how he's trying to
73
00:02:52.140 --> 00:02:54.700
maintain this sense of domestic normalcy in
74
00:02:54.700 --> 00:02:56.100
the middle of complete chaos.
75
00:02:57.060 --> 00:02:59.460
Jessica: Let me point out how Adria Arjona brings so
76
00:02:59.460 --> 00:03:02.300
much complexity to Ashley, too. She could
77
00:03:02.300 --> 00:03:03.900
have easily been written off as just the
78
00:03:03.900 --> 00:03:04.900
unfaithful wife.
79
00:03:05.780 --> 00:03:07.860
Chris: That's such a crucial element of why this
80
00:03:07.860 --> 00:03:10.750
film works. Nobody's purely good or
81
00:03:10.750 --> 00:03:13.510
evil, they're just people making messy
82
00:03:13.510 --> 00:03:15.430
decisions while trying to figure out what
83
00:03:15.430 --> 00:03:18.230
they want. Even Ashley's affairs aren't
84
00:03:18.230 --> 00:03:20.830
presented as just simple betrayals, but as
85
00:03:20.830 --> 00:03:22.510
these complicated attempts to find
86
00:03:22.510 --> 00:03:23.150
fulfillment.
87
00:03:23.710 --> 00:03:25.710
Jessica: The way the film balances all these heavy
88
00:03:25.710 --> 00:03:27.470
themes with genuine humor is pretty
89
00:03:27.470 --> 00:03:28.270
remarkable too.
90
00:03:29.070 --> 00:03:30.430
Chris: Well, that's because they understand
91
00:03:30.510 --> 00:03:32.510
something fundamental about human nature,
92
00:03:33.070 --> 00:03:35.030
that sometimes the most painful moments in
93
00:03:35.030 --> 00:03:37.820
our lives can also be absurdly funny. Like
94
00:03:37.820 --> 00:03:39.660
when Paul discovers Carrie and Julie's
95
00:03:39.660 --> 00:03:42.100
affair. The scene plays out like this perfect
96
00:03:42.100 --> 00:03:43.820
tragicomedy of errors.
97
00:03:44.700 --> 00:03:46.700
Jessica: So what do you think this film is ultimately
98
00:03:46.700 --> 00:03:48.460
saying about modern relationships?
99
00:03:49.100 --> 00:03:51.660
Chris: You know, I think it's suggesting that
100
00:03:51.820 --> 00:03:54.140
maybe we need to throw out our preconceptions
101
00:03:54.140 --> 00:03:56.540
about what makes relationships work.
102
00:03:57.260 --> 00:03:59.460
Whether it's traditional marriage, open
103
00:03:59.460 --> 00:04:01.900
marriage, or whatever weird situation
104
00:04:01.900 --> 00:04:04.420
Carrie creates by befriending his wife's
105
00:04:04.420 --> 00:04:07.410
lovers, the film shows that authenticity and
106
00:04:07.490 --> 00:04:10.130
genuine connection matter more than following
107
00:04:10.210 --> 00:04:12.130
any particular relationship model.
108
00:04:12.690 --> 00:04:14.410
Jessica: The whole thing really makes you question
109
00:04:14.410 --> 00:04:16.530
your assumptions about love and commitment,
110
00:04:17.410 --> 00:04:17.730
and.
111
00:04:17.730 --> 00:04:19.890
Chris: That'S ultimately what sets Splitsville apart
112
00:04:19.890 --> 00:04:22.250
from other relationship dramas. It's not
113
00:04:22.250 --> 00:04:24.650
trying to moralize or teach us lessons about
114
00:04:24.650 --> 00:04:27.650
marriage. Instead, it's showing us this
115
00:04:27.650 --> 00:04:30.450
beautiful mess of human connection in
116
00:04:30.450 --> 00:04:32.980
all its complicated glory, while
117
00:04:32.980 --> 00:04:35.420
somehow managing to make us laugh along the
118
00:04:35.420 --> 00:04:37.780
way. It's like a reminder that
119
00:04:38.260 --> 00:04:40.660
sometimes the most meaningful relationships
120
00:04:40.660 --> 00:04:43.380
in our lives come from embracing the chaos
121
00:04:43.940 --> 00:04:45.540
rather than trying to control it.
122
00:04:46.180 --> 00:04:49.100
Unquestionably absurdist, Splitsville
123
00:04:49.100 --> 00:04:50.740
sits comfortably alongside another recent
124
00:04:50.740 --> 00:04:53.700
darkly comedic release, Being the Roses.
125
00:04:54.420 --> 00:04:56.180
You could even see the two as mutually
126
00:04:56.180 --> 00:04:58.960
satisfying companion pieces. Splitsville
127
00:04:58.960 --> 00:05:00.120
scores an 8 out of 10.
128
00:05:00.520 --> 00:05:02.760
Voice Over Guy: You've been listening to movies first
129
00:05:03.000 --> 00:05:05.720
available at Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
130
00:05:05.960 --> 00:05:08.720
iHeartRadio, or your favorite podcast
131
00:05:08.720 --> 00:05:11.040
player. You can also stream on demand at
132
00:05:11.040 --> 00:05:11.720
bytes.
133
00:05:11.720 --> 00:05:14.359
Chris: Com. This has been another quality podcast
134
00:05:14.359 --> 00:05:16.090
production from Bytes. Com.
0
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.120
Chris: Marriage breakdowns in movies usually follow
1
00:00:02.120 --> 00:00:04.640
a predictable path. But what happens when a
2
00:00:04.640 --> 00:00:06.680
fatal car crash leads to infidelity
3
00:00:06.680 --> 00:00:08.760
confessions, and the husband starts
4
00:00:08.760 --> 00:00:10.720
befriending all of his wife's new lovers?
5
00:00:11.440 --> 00:00:13.720
That's the wild premise behind Splitsville.
6
00:00:13.720 --> 00:00:15.840
That's completely redefining the relationship
7
00:00:15.840 --> 00:00:16.720
drama genre.
8
00:00:17.360 --> 00:00:19.400
Jessica: Let me tell you what grabbed me immediately
9
00:00:19.400 --> 00:00:21.800
about this film. The way it uses that
10
00:00:21.800 --> 00:00:24.000
traumatic catalyst to unleash all these
11
00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:26.730
hidden relationship dynamics. It's like
12
00:00:26.730 --> 00:00:29.050
watching a psychological experiment unfold in
13
00:00:29.050 --> 00:00:29.650
real time.
14
00:00:30.290 --> 00:00:32.530
Chris: Well, that's exactly what makes this film so
15
00:00:32.530 --> 00:00:35.170
fascinating. Here's Carrie, played
16
00:00:35.170 --> 00:00:37.770
brilliantly by Kyle Marvin, thinking he's got
17
00:00:37.770 --> 00:00:40.770
this perfect marriage with Ashley, and boom,
18
00:00:41.250 --> 00:00:43.850
one car accident later, his entire world
19
00:00:43.850 --> 00:00:46.490
implodes. The interesting thing is how the
20
00:00:46.490 --> 00:00:49.130
trauma becomes this gateway to exploring
21
00:00:49.130 --> 00:00:51.330
different kinds of modern relationships.
22
00:00:52.230 --> 00:00:54.230
Jessica: Speaking of modern relationships, the
23
00:00:54.230 --> 00:00:56.030
parallel between the two couples is
24
00:00:56.030 --> 00:00:58.950
absolutely mind bending. You've got this
25
00:00:58.950 --> 00:01:00.950
traditional marriage falling apart next to
26
00:01:00.950 --> 00:01:02.990
this supposedly progressive open marriage
27
00:01:02.990 --> 00:01:04.470
that's equally dysfunctional.
28
00:01:05.510 --> 00:01:06.990
Chris: You know what's really clever about that
29
00:01:06.990 --> 00:01:09.190
setup? It completely challenges our
30
00:01:09.190 --> 00:01:11.190
assumptions about relationship structures.
31
00:01:11.910 --> 00:01:14.510
Like, here's Paul and Julie with their open
32
00:01:14.510 --> 00:01:16.270
marriage that's supposed to be so
33
00:01:16.270 --> 00:01:18.990
enlightened, but Paul's basically checked out
34
00:01:18.990 --> 00:01:21.510
of parenting while Julie's stuck handling
35
00:01:21.510 --> 00:01:22.350
everything at home.
36
00:01:22.560 --> 00:01:24.840
Jessica: and the way Dakota Johnson portrays Julie's
37
00:01:24.840 --> 00:01:26.880
frustration just hits different, doesn't it?
38
00:01:27.600 --> 00:01:29.640
You can see all these layers of resentment
39
00:01:29.640 --> 00:01:31.680
building up beneath her composed exterior.
40
00:01:33.040 --> 00:01:34.800
Chris: M that's exactly what makes her eventual
41
00:01:34.800 --> 00:01:37.560
connection with Carrie so compelling. Here's
42
00:01:37.560 --> 00:01:39.680
this guy who's technically the more
43
00:01:39.680 --> 00:01:42.000
traditional husband, but he's actually more
44
00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:44.200
present and emotionally available than Paul
45
00:01:44.200 --> 00:01:45.760
with all his progressive ideals.
46
00:01:46.410 --> 00:01:48.530
And let's talk about how Kyle Marvin manages
47
00:01:48.530 --> 00:01:51.090
to make Carrie sympathetic even while he's
48
00:01:51.090 --> 00:01:53.290
making these absolutely wild choices.
49
00:01:54.090 --> 00:01:56.450
Jessica: Well, how does someone even pull off playing
50
00:01:56.450 --> 00:01:58.530
a character who befriends all of his wife's
51
00:01:58.530 --> 00:02:00.290
new lovers without coming across as
52
00:02:00.290 --> 00:02:01.450
completely unhinged?
53
00:02:02.730 --> 00:02:05.730
Chris: That's the genius of the performance and the
54
00:02:05.730 --> 00:02:08.090
writing. They take this premise that could
55
00:02:08.090 --> 00:02:10.810
easily veer into cringe territory and
56
00:02:10.810 --> 00:02:13.210
somehow make it this fascinating exploration
57
00:02:13.370 --> 00:02:15.850
of how people process grief and betrayal.
58
00:02:16.730 --> 00:02:18.970
The way Carrey transforms his pain into these
59
00:02:18.970 --> 00:02:21.770
bizarre new connections is both hilarious
60
00:02:22.010 --> 00:02:23.610
and weirdly touching.
61
00:02:24.570 --> 00:02:26.930
Jessica: The visual style really elevates all these
62
00:02:26.930 --> 00:02:28.650
complex emotional beats too.
63
00:02:29.690 --> 00:02:32.410
Adam Newport Berra's cinematography gives
64
00:02:32.410 --> 00:02:35.090
everything this almost artistic quality that
65
00:02:35.090 --> 00:02:37.010
you don't usually see in relationship
66
00:02:37.010 --> 00:02:37.610
comedies.
67
00:02:38.410 --> 00:02:40.690
Chris: Oh, man, those scenes where Carrie's
68
00:02:40.690 --> 00:02:43.140
interacting with Ashley's new partners are
69
00:02:43.140 --> 00:02:45.980
just masterfully framed. There's this one
70
00:02:45.980 --> 00:02:47.900
shot, you know, the one where he's Cooking
71
00:02:47.900 --> 00:02:50.180
dinner for everyone. It's like this perfect
72
00:02:50.180 --> 00:02:52.140
visual metaphor for how he's trying to
73
00:02:52.140 --> 00:02:54.700
maintain this sense of domestic normalcy in
74
00:02:54.700 --> 00:02:56.100
the middle of complete chaos.
75
00:02:57.060 --> 00:02:59.460
Jessica: Let me point out how Adria Arjona brings so
76
00:02:59.460 --> 00:03:02.300
much complexity to Ashley, too. She could
77
00:03:02.300 --> 00:03:03.900
have easily been written off as just the
78
00:03:03.900 --> 00:03:04.900
unfaithful wife.
79
00:03:05.780 --> 00:03:07.860
Chris: That's such a crucial element of why this
80
00:03:07.860 --> 00:03:10.750
film works. Nobody's purely good or
81
00:03:10.750 --> 00:03:13.510
evil, they're just people making messy
82
00:03:13.510 --> 00:03:15.430
decisions while trying to figure out what
83
00:03:15.430 --> 00:03:18.230
they want. Even Ashley's affairs aren't
84
00:03:18.230 --> 00:03:20.830
presented as just simple betrayals, but as
85
00:03:20.830 --> 00:03:22.510
these complicated attempts to find
86
00:03:22.510 --> 00:03:23.150
fulfillment.
87
00:03:23.710 --> 00:03:25.710
Jessica: The way the film balances all these heavy
88
00:03:25.710 --> 00:03:27.470
themes with genuine humor is pretty
89
00:03:27.470 --> 00:03:28.270
remarkable too.
90
00:03:29.070 --> 00:03:30.430
Chris: Well, that's because they understand
91
00:03:30.510 --> 00:03:32.510
something fundamental about human nature,
92
00:03:33.070 --> 00:03:35.030
that sometimes the most painful moments in
93
00:03:35.030 --> 00:03:37.820
our lives can also be absurdly funny. Like
94
00:03:37.820 --> 00:03:39.660
when Paul discovers Carrie and Julie's
95
00:03:39.660 --> 00:03:42.100
affair. The scene plays out like this perfect
96
00:03:42.100 --> 00:03:43.820
tragicomedy of errors.
97
00:03:44.700 --> 00:03:46.700
Jessica: So what do you think this film is ultimately
98
00:03:46.700 --> 00:03:48.460
saying about modern relationships?
99
00:03:49.100 --> 00:03:51.660
Chris: You know, I think it's suggesting that
100
00:03:51.820 --> 00:03:54.140
maybe we need to throw out our preconceptions
101
00:03:54.140 --> 00:03:56.540
about what makes relationships work.
102
00:03:57.260 --> 00:03:59.460
Whether it's traditional marriage, open
103
00:03:59.460 --> 00:04:01.900
marriage, or whatever weird situation
104
00:04:01.900 --> 00:04:04.420
Carrie creates by befriending his wife's
105
00:04:04.420 --> 00:04:07.410
lovers, the film shows that authenticity and
106
00:04:07.490 --> 00:04:10.130
genuine connection matter more than following
107
00:04:10.210 --> 00:04:12.130
any particular relationship model.
108
00:04:12.690 --> 00:04:14.410
Jessica: The whole thing really makes you question
109
00:04:14.410 --> 00:04:16.530
your assumptions about love and commitment,
110
00:04:17.410 --> 00:04:17.730
and.
111
00:04:17.730 --> 00:04:19.890
Chris: That'S ultimately what sets Splitsville apart
112
00:04:19.890 --> 00:04:22.250
from other relationship dramas. It's not
113
00:04:22.250 --> 00:04:24.650
trying to moralize or teach us lessons about
114
00:04:24.650 --> 00:04:27.650
marriage. Instead, it's showing us this
115
00:04:27.650 --> 00:04:30.450
beautiful mess of human connection in
116
00:04:30.450 --> 00:04:32.980
all its complicated glory, while
117
00:04:32.980 --> 00:04:35.420
somehow managing to make us laugh along the
118
00:04:35.420 --> 00:04:37.780
way. It's like a reminder that
119
00:04:38.260 --> 00:04:40.660
sometimes the most meaningful relationships
120
00:04:40.660 --> 00:04:43.380
in our lives come from embracing the chaos
121
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rather than trying to control it.
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Unquestionably absurdist, Splitsville
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sits comfortably alongside another recent
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darkly comedic release, Being the Roses.
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You could even see the two as mutually
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satisfying companion pieces. Splitsville
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scores an 8 out of 10.
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Voice Over Guy: You've been listening to movies first
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available at Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
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iHeartRadio, or your favorite podcast
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player. You can also stream on demand at
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bytes.
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Chris: Com. This has been another quality podcast
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production from Bytes. Com.
