The plot of “Malcolm & Marie” is unique to the genre of romantic dramas. It proves other films in this genre display an unattainable concept of love that leaves viewers feeling like their relationships are failures because they aren’t like what they see on the big screen.

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The only actors in the entire film are John David Washington, who stars as Malcolm, and Zendaya, who stars as Marie. To pull off such a plot requires strong storytelling and precise casting, which writer and director Sam Levinson did very well.

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Levinson got some of the inspiration for the film from an actual fight he and his wife had, according to the journal Decider, when he forgot to thank her at his premiere for “Assassination Nation.” “Malcolm & Marie” took a very realistic approach to common differences in relationships which was very refreshing after Hollywood has portrayed such an unachievable concept of love over the years.

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For example, Nicholas Sparks’ films, such as “The Notebook,” “Dear John” and “The Last Song” — usually highlighting the “honeymoon phase” and not including the challenging everyday hardships of relationships.

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Netflix released the R-rated film “Malcolm & Marie” on Feb. 5, which was shot on black and white 35mm film and gives the vibe of a 1950s classic but set in present times. The film feels like one long take, as the story occurs in one late never-ending night. The viewer goes on an experience inside the minds of a couple working through a hard time in their relationship. Throughout the film, you discover so much about them that it almost feels like you know them both personally.

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If you’ve ever been in a serious relationship, you know it isn’t all rainbows and sunshine. Relationships can sometimes consist of long, late nights of constant back and forth, which can make the partners more irrational throughout the emotionally draining experience. On average, couples bicker 2,455 times a year, according to DailyMail.

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The film follows Malcolm, a new director in the film industry, returning home from a premiere of his debut movie with his glamorous girlfriend Marie. While he alternately exults and rails against "the white girl" film critic at the L.A. Times, Marie is sullen and angry, for reasons that will gradually — very gradually —  be explained.

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Malcolm spends a lot of time complaining about film critics during one of his many rants. I saw this risk as being very eye-opening; Malcolm refers to film critics as being “prestigious” and trying to find “a political meaning in every black directed film,” which infuriated him because his film had nothing to do with color or race. Malcolm’s film was about living with shame and guilt as he explains throughout the story.

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Levinson took a risk by adding this to the film, he is basically asking to be ripped apart by journalists, but personally, it brought my attention to the issue- not everything produced by a black director is a “political statement,” which was one of Levinson’s main points to making this film.

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The film is filled with long, impressive monologues, and honestly, the acting is outstanding. It is so genuine and authentic. If this film doesn’t prove the raw talent of these two actors, I’m not sure what will.

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The couple goes through an insane roller coaster throughout the film of being so in love they can’t keep their hands off of each other to screaming about how much they hate one another in a matter of seconds, which can be frustrating at times.

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This beautifully shot film depicts what real relationships are like, unlike the overly romanticized films that can shape viewers to feel unsatisfied in their real lives. In 2014, researchers from The University of Michigan studied the responses of 625 college students, including 392 females, to learn how romantic movies might affect their beliefs about relationships. The study indicated that higher exposure to romantic movies was associated with a stronger belief that “love finds a way,” which did not surprise the researchers given the genre’s focus on the early stages of romance.

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Growing up and believing in soulmates can cause people to give up on their partner prematurely once they are challenged with difficulties common in real relationships. It causes people to think “Oh, it must have not been meant to be,” when really nothing is easy in a long-term relationship.

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"Nothing productive is going to be said tonight," Marie says quietly when Malcolm starts to probe what's bugging her after they get home from the premiere.

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Alas, when the shouting is over, those turn out to be the truest words spoken.

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