The Marriage App Parent Guide

Belen (Luisana Lopilato) and Federico (Juan Minujin) are starting to feel the wear on their marriage caused by two kids and many years spent together. Looking for a way to reconnect, they decide to try out a new product that promises to rekindle even the stalest of marriages. The Equilibrium Watch uses cutting edge technology to interpret words and actions and turn them into “miles”. Good deeds and kind words toward your partner earn you miles, while insults and unhelpfulness take them away. Those miles can then be redeemed for rewards, such as a guilt-free trip with friends. At first, the watches work well for Belen and Federico, until some ulterior motives come to light and the two race to see who can get the most points the fastest.

The entire premise of this story is toxic. If you need an external reward to be kind to your partner, you’re not a good partner. My other gripe with the premise is that the watch doesn’t just give points for things like compliments or gifts, but also for doing basic household chores like taking out the trash. Again, if you’re an adult and you need an external motivation just to pull your weight around the house, you’re not a good partner. Or a good adult.

On top of the toxic premise, the film leans into some problematic stereotypes, especially around women. At some points in the story, Belen is depicted as a shrew who doesn’t want her husband to do anything fun or follow his dreams. Their teenage daughter, Mica (Aylen Malisani) is given no personality traits outside of being shallow and wanting attention. It’s uncomfortable to watch and reinforces worn-out negative stereotypes about women.

Thanks to the problematic nature of the story, there’s a distinct lack of romance in this rom-com – and not a lot of comedy either. Yes, Belen and Federico say and do a lot of nice things and enjoy a lot of physical affection, but their motivations make all those gestures feel hollow. As the competition ramps up, they start to do unforgivably horrible things to each other. Yet the story somehow expects us to root for them.

I would not recommend The Marriage App even if content concerns weren’t an issue. But they are, and sexual topics are discussed in some detail (without explicit on-screen activity). A fair amount of drinking and swearing makes this unsuitable for most audiences. Perhaps some scenes of this film could be used as training material for therapists. I don’t see much use for it otherwise.