The Netflix film “The Marriage App,” is all about trying unconventional means to make a marriage work. While positive reinforcement for behavioral management has been in practice for a while, can such an incentive bring the romance back between two people who are stuck in a dull marriage? The film tries to figure out how the incorporation of technology to save a relationship affects individuals. “The Marriage App” establishes that the union of Belen and Federico was written in destiny. They met by accident and found love. But after years of marriage, they could sense that their attraction was dissipating with time.
Spoilers Ahead
Plot Summary: What Is The Film About?
With two children to take care of, Belen and Federico struggle to maintain a healthy relationship. While Belen was more focused on taking care of the household, Federico would mostly delay every task he was assigned to. He was gradually becoming a disappointment in Belen’s life, and the fact that he would stay away from home even after work made it all the worse. Federico was a dentist, but that was not the life he had dreamed of. He wanted to become a chef, and he would spend most of his time perfecting his culinary skills with his friends. And to their surprise, they discovered that they were selected for an amateur cooking competition in Mexico. While it was a thrilling piece of news, he did not dare to break it to Belen. She complained about his disinterest in family chores, and he did not have the courage to inform her that he would be going away to participate in a cooking competition. Their lives changed when Belen and Federico met Belen’s sister, Natalia, and her husband, German. The two could not keep their hands off each other, taking Belen and Federico by surprise. The couple who fought about every trivial matter was now madly in love with each other. When they asked them to share the secret behind bringing back the passion in their relationship, they disclosed that they were enrolled in a program at “Equilibrium.” It was a referral program; therefore, not everyone could get access to it. They guaranteed that Belen and Federico would get their love back once they started with the program. While Federico was not ready to entertain it, Belen was prepared to do anything to bring back the passion, as Natalia and German did. Even though Federico believed it was a pyramid scheme, and they could get scammed in the process, he agreed to give the initial consultation a go.
After reaching the Equilibrium office, they were introduced to Milan. Milan showed them the watches and scales that they were supposed to wear at all times. It was this technology that would help them find balance in their relationship. Since every relationship is about giving and receiving, the company focuses on finding a balance. Dissatisfaction arises when one gives more but receives little in return, but with the help of innovative technology, one can keep track of it. Not only that, with their good behavior towards their partner, they would be able to earn miles, and if they ignored the needs of their partner, they would lose miles. The attraction of the entire scheme was that if the miles were earned up to a certain level, the individuals would be able to spend them on their pleasure without the interference of their partner. It was a treat that they would be rewarded with for their good behavior. While Federico was not too keen to enroll, the moment he was told that he could be rewarded with a trip with friends in exchange for the miles earned, he had a change of heart. He realized that this could be a way to travel to Mexico without feeling guilty about hurting Belen. Even though the program price was way over what they could afford, Federico decided that it was worth the money. He convinced Belen by discussing how it would be worth it if they could get back the love that they had lost. The couple was given the scale, and they had to wear it for 30 days straight, after which they could take it off according to their will. Belen and Federico were ready to start their new journey. They were hopeful about their future, but the question was: could a reward system bring back their love? Let’s find out.
‘The Marriage App’ Ending Explained: Did Equilibrium Help Belen And Federico Bring The Spark Back To Their Relationship?
Federico was desperate to win the miles, and he knew that by showing affection toward Belen, he would be able to travel with his friends and participate in the cooking competition. He had to earn 1,000 miles to travel guilt-free to Mexico, and he went above and beyond to achieve it. While he did care about Belen, he was not being honest about his feelings because of the positive reinforcement technology. His focus was not on improving the relationship but rather on the reward after achieving 1000 miles. To avoid negative pointing, they stopped fighting and started appreciating each other’s efforts all the more, which initially helped them improve their relationship.
Federico arranged a vacation the moment Belen expressed that she wanted to escape her everyday life. On their vacation, Belen encouraged Federico to pursue his interest in cooking. He realized that this was the best time to share the news with her, but she proceeded to kiss him, and it remained unsaid. Probably, if he had confessed the truth, they could have had a chance at trying to fix their marriage with honesty instead of showing grand gestures just to earn points. At night, Federico stepped out of the tent to listen to the messages sent by his friends. He played it aloud, and Belen heard it from the inside of the tent. She now knew that Federico had arranged for the trip to earn miles and that they were planning to go to Mexico in exchange for the miles. Belen was enraged, and she was determined to seek revenge. She decided that she, too, would go out of her way to earn miles and travel to India. She wanted her miles to be more than his, and she stepped out of her comfort zone to make it happen. Over dinner, she confronted him about his trip to Mexico. He tried to explain himself, but it was too late. For Belen, it is a challenge now. She announced that she aimed to travel to India on the same day that he planned to visit Mexico. Therefore, the one who would be able to earn the 1000 miles before the other would get to travel, whereas the one who would lose had to take care of their kids and stay at home. Even though Federico believed it was a ridiculous idea, Belen would not budge.
From getting tattoos to washing cars, they were doing it all to win the race. But their competition had affected their children. They barely had time for their kids, and they started to go astray. But for the couple, the competition continued to be their priority. Belen invited her friend over and drugged Federico. He was made to believe that his sexual fantasy of making out with two women had come true. This helped Belen earn a lot of miles because she fulfilled his fantasy. But Federico lost points since he was with someone else in front of his wife. He realized that Belen had planned it intentionally to make him lose miles, and he tried to come up with a way to earn his miles back. He realized that he had been playing it small all along, but now it was time to do something heroic. He dressed his friend, Gonza, as a thief with a toy gun in hand and asked him to pretend to rob Belen. Federico would rush in and save her from danger and earn miles. Just when Federico decided to make the heroic entry, an old woman asked him to help her cross the road. He could not ignore her request, and in the meantime, Belen pepper-sprayed Gonza, and he ran away with her belongings. By the time Federico entered, the entire robbery was over. He decided to get back Belen’s belongings. After bringing back her lost items, Federico earned miles just like he intended to do. Belen did not doubt the entire incident; she was genuinely thankful to Federico for fighting for her.
At the Equilibrium party, Gonza was working as the waiter. He did not realize that Federico and Belen would be there. Federico asked him to keep his distance from his wife. But Belen recognized him after noticing his tattoo. She could connect the dots, and she realized that the robbery was staged, and that Federico had planned it. She was shocked; she could not believe that Federico could stoop so low. She had to live through the worst experience of her life only because her husband wanted to go on vacation with his friends. Federico reminded Belen that she, too, used him to earn points, but she confessed that she did not proceed with the three-way fantasy; they simply drugged him, and he woke up believing that he slept with them. He was not entirely ashamed of himself; he expressed that the trip mattered to him because, after starting a family, he never had the time to do anything that he solely wanted and participating in the competition was what he wanted for himself. Belen left the party and threw away the scale. The device had only worsened their relationship. Even though Federico later tried to make amends with Belen, she explicitly stated that their marriage was over.
The distance helped them connect with their individual desires. Belen focused on making her store better with new toy collections, whereas Federico started his own bao place and indulged in his culinary dreams. Since they were satisfied with their lives, they were able to make time for their children and cater to their needs as well. After watching Toto’s basketball match, Federico and Belen stepped out and headed to his Bao place. They decided to give themselves another chance and start over. They had grown as individuals and worked on their problems. Federico learned to express himself better than he did before. Because they found balance in their individual lives, they could now plan for their future once again. They did not need a device to teach them to find love; all they needed to do was have an honest conversation, distance themselves from each other, and focus on their unfulfilled individual goals. With their lives back on track, Belen and Federico’s second attempt could turn out to be a success. “The Marriage App” ends on a happy note, where love finds its way back into Federico and Belen’s relationship.
“The Marriage App” is a 2022 Drama Romance film directed by Sebastian De Caro.
