Did you get a chance to watch Netlix’s recent debut movie, “Malcolm & Marie”, featuring Zendaya and John David Washington? From the toxic script to the fragile romance of the couple, the film was a whirlwind of emotion.
I give the movie a rating of 10 out of 10 on production and an 8 out of 10 for the actual movie content. The black and white romance film was filled with very aesthetically pleasing scenes including Zendaya’s beautiful ball gown and the couple’s lavish modern-style home. The film was shot only in the home and scenes consisted of the kitchen, their patio, living room, and bathroom. The script was filled with such poetic dialogue, even when a hateful spew was thrown, it was said with such eloquent diction. The couple’s movement throughout the house paralleled their many shifts in feelings towards each other.
Upon the first half of the movie, I found myself wondering if there were any secrets between the couple that made them so frustrated towards one another. The raw emotion and toxic dialogue towards a seemingly loving couple was something I had never truly seen portrayed on film. The couple was up and then down ten seconds later, taking shots at each other by gaslighting, guilt-tripping, shaming, and bringing up past traumas. As a single woman, I simply could not relate. I wanted Marie to leave Malcolm so badly and could never imagine enduring such mindless hate while still being supportive; but, in watching, I could see that they were each other’s person. Malcolm being there for her during her lowest point in life probably made her feel like she owes him something and that she knows who he is deep down inside. Maybe she also felt like she was unloveable by another. By the end of the movie, the couple was getting closer to saying what the audience was thinking, “Maybe we shouldn’t be together.” For the first time, the fight they were having led them to identify what they didn’t want to admit. The couple falls apart right in front of our eyes.
Overall, Malcolm & Marie was a movie that left a lot up for interpretation to the audience. The film gave direct insight into what a truly toxic relationship looks like. It was the opposite of what I expected as a debut during the week of Valentine’s Day, but it presented another side of love. Love is such a complex concept that looks different between different people. I definitely would never want a Malcolm in my life, but if I fell in love with someone and unlikely situations turned their sweetness into toxic venom, I have to ask myself if I would still try to make it work no matter how much it hurt… would you?