Ex-Husbands Movie Review (2023)
A thoughtful indie about a man going through a divorce who crashes his son’s bachelor party in Tulum, Ex-Husbands is quirky and deep while remaining extremely likeable.
The male midlife crisis is a fairly standard theme in cinema. In most of these cases, said man will shop for some new outfits, pick up a sports car, maybe get some hair implants, and start dating a woman in her twenties. We’ve all seen the stereotype, but not everyone is like that. There are other stories to tell.
Ex-Husbands is about Peter Pearce, a man whose father divorced his mother after 65 years of marriage. A few years after this, Peter’s wife, Maria, files for divorce. Peter struggles with this new reality and books a solo trip to Tulum. When his younger son, Mickey, tells Peter that his older son, Nick’s, bachelor party is going to be in Tulum at the same time, Peter agrees to change the timing of his trip, but then goes anyway.
This is an extremely relatable film that left a real impression on me. Peter is a flawed man with boundary issues, but he reminds me of people I know. He means well, and he has a lot to learn about himself and his relationships with others, so being by himself in Tulum is an opportunity to explore how to exist as a single person.
Peter watched what happened after his parents divorced, and it didn’t quite turn out the way his father had hoped. That leads Peter to wonder whether he should grant his wife the divorce or cling to the life he’s always had.
Both Mickey and Nick also have relationship issues, so you are really watching three generations of men manage their situations. Plus, the boys are both at ages where they realize, in more ways than one, that their father is human, makes mistakes, and loves them. That doesn’t make everything okay, but it is the truth, and sometimes that’s not easy.
There is a sweetness and a melancholy to Ex-Husbands. As with many indies, it is not just one thing. There are many funny moments, and a few sad ones. There are times when you want to yell at Peter and others where you feel bad for him, because, for the most-part, this feels much like someone’s real journey.
Ex-husbands is a slice-of-life film that is more about human nature and relationships than plot. It is measured in its storyline, and every character you meet could easily be someone you know. I really enjoyed it, and I hope you do too.
Runtime: 99 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: R
Languages Spoken In The Film: English
Should You Watch It? Yes
Did I Cry? Nope
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
Available: Free on Starz, to rent on Prime Video, or may be available for free on other streaming platforms
