Written by: Lehlieh Zion
The monochromatic black and white film was written and directed by Sam Levinson and produced by Ashley Levinson, Sam Levinson, and Kevin Turen. The film has viewers and critics going wild about the intent of the movie. Malcolm and Marie‘s dialogue might be cringe-worthy to anyone who has experienced the infamous “struggle love.”
At the beginning of the film, Malcolm, a young African American director, takes the stage after his movie premiere. His random rants and drunk dance moves will instantly grab your attention and cause you to wonder what all the hype is about.
Are Malcolm and Marie expressing struggle love?
As the spotlight switches to his girlfriend Marie, you can immediately tell that they’re on opposite sides of the spectrum, and Marie seems a bit annoyed. In the first 15 minutes of the movie, Marie appears to be disgusted by Malcolm’s sight celebrating what he considers a win. Only to find out his win is what she considers her loss. As they address the elephant in the room, the film begins to take us on a wild goose chase. It’s clear Malcolm and Marie have had issues for a long time as they both express their anger through insults and sarcasm.
Both characters appear to be unenthused at the sight of each other because the entire time, they cannot sit still. This movie may not be the best suggestion for an epileptic movie buff.
Malcolm and Marie appear to reach a positive peak only to disappoint a hopeless romantic like me because moments after they “make up,” they return to their narcissistic behaviors towards each other again. Malcolm and Marie have no chill, and 45 minutes into the movie, you begin to wonder what happens in the end. Unfortunately, this odd couple expresses all 27 humanely possible emotions in the span of 1 hour into the film and finally leaves us with the reality that this is their norm. Throughout the film, their communication is toxic, abusive, and confusing. This movie is not on my list for “Netflix & chill” night, but Zendaya and John Smith played the riveting roles of a narcissistic, toxic couple.