‘The Marriage App’ is a romantic comedy that explores a married couple’s life as they try to find balance in their relationship with the help of a unique app. The film is now streaming on Netflix.
Warning: This article contains heavy spoilers
Plot summary
The film starts with the first meeting of Belén and Federico, which is an absolute disaster. Federico ends up wrecking the door of Belén’s new car and then proceeds to ask her out. It is very evident from their first meeting that the two are very different from each other.
A few years later, the couple is married and has two children. Federico is now a dentist, a profession that he never truly wanted to pursue, while Belén runs a toy shop with her friend.
Their relationship is far from perfect, and the two characters are never really satisfied or even happy with each other.
Federico is irresponsible and emotionally absent, even when he is physically present. Belén, who is highly responsible, has to constantly nag him to get even basic things done, which in turn makes him feel like he is not being given enough space or time to do things at his own pace.
Belén and Federico decide to try a marriage app called Equilibrium when they see that it has drastically improved Belén’s sister’s relationship with her husband.
It is a device that couples wear like watches; it works like a scale. It can be described as a spreadsheet where anything that they do for their partner results in them getting rewarded points or miles.
However, Federico has an ulterior motive. He only agrees to use this app because he wants to participate in a cooking competition with his friends in Cancún, and he is hesitant to inform Belén about it. He believes if he earns enough miles, he will be able to pursue his dream without feeling any guilt.
Federico starts acting like a model husband once they start using Equilibrium. From serving Belén breakfast in bed to showering her with compliments, he makes use of every romantic gesture that exists out there.
He resorts to reading books about being a better partner. In the process, he even becomes a better father to his son by being there for him.
To earn more points, he takes his wife on a trip. Their relationship improves a great deal, but it all goes downhill when Belén discovers the motive behind Federico’s actions.
A war of sorts is declared and the two compete to get 1000 miles. The first one to reach the target will get to go on a trip with their friends, while the loser will stay home and look after the children.
The competition turns bitter as the two go to extreme lengths to earn more miles. They spare no effort, even using the vulnerabilities of their partner to their advantage. They have to second guess every action of their partner in order to not get manipulated.
Their relationship gets worse and it impacts their children as well. After all this effort, who wins the war, and is it worth it?
The Marriage App ending explained in detail:
How does Federico manage to get a lead?
When it seems like Belén might win, Federico’s friend, Gonza, comes up with an idea to make him look like a hero. They plan to stage an attack where Federico will arrive at the last minute and save Belén from getting mugged.
Things do not go exactly as planned. When Belén is cornered, she uses her pepper spray to injure Gonza. Federico fails to arrive on time to save her, and Gonza is forced to escape.
However, when he comes, he still chases after Gonza to get back Belén’s belongings. To Belén, it looks like he risked his safety for her sake, which earns him several miles, and he ends up taking the lead.
Who gets more miles eventually?
When Belén finds out that she was never really mugged and that it was all Federico’s plan, she gets rid of Equilibrium in tears.
The competition ends before any of them reach the 1000 miles mark. Belén also ends their relationship. However, before that, it was seen that Federico had earned 995 miles and he was ahead of Belén.
Does Federico go to Cancún?
When Federico and Belén separate, he realizes that he has not been a good father to his children. The realization that he not only disappointed his wife but also his children makes him change for the better.
Instead of going to Cancún with his friends to participate in the cooking competition, he decides to go to his son’s basketball match and support him with his family.
Do Federico and Belén get back together?
When they separate, Federico and Belén start focusing more on their careers and their children. Federico finally pursues his dream and opens an Asian restaurant, while Belén starts designing better toys than before.
They both regain their personal space and learn to grow as individuals. When they meet again at their son’s basketball match, Federico invites her to eat at his restaurant.
Belén finds out that Federico has learned from his past mistakes and has changed. They reintroduce themselves and then share a kiss, implying that it is a fresh start for them as a couple.
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