Monogamish is a 2017 American documentary film directed by Tao Ruspoli starring Dan Savage, Esther Perel and Christopher Ryan. The 75-minute film explores contemporary attitudes toward monogamy, marriage, and alternative relationship structures in American society.
Following his divorce from actress Olivia Wilde (who is not named in the film), [1] filmmaker Tao Ruspoli embarks on a personal journey to examine the institution of monogamy and marriage in contemporary America. The documentary features interviews with relationship experts, historians, psychologists, and ordinary couples as Ruspoli questions traditional assumptions about love, commitment, and family structures. The film takes its title from a term coined by sex columnist Dan Savage referring to relationships that are "mostly monogamous" but allow for some flexibility. Savage is one of the main voices featured in the documentary along with psychotherapist and relationship specialist, Esther Perel.
The documentary was written and directed by Tao Ruspoli, co-written by Mark Wrathall, a philosopher who also appeared in Ruspoli's previous documentary Being in the World (2010).
In the film, Ruspoli, who is the son of Italian aristocrat Prince Alessandro Ruspoli, 9th Prince of Cerveteri (known as "Dado"), drew upon his own family's unconventional relationship history. [2] The documentary incorporates personal narratives from Ruspoli's family members alongside expert commentary. The film was produced by Giancarlo Canavesio, Sol Tryon, and Daniel Tibbets Guevara through Mangusta Productions.
The film includes interviews with several prominent figures in the fields of psychology, sexuality, and relationship counseling:
Monogamish examines the historical and cultural evolution of marriage and monogamy, questioning whether traditional pair bonding remains viable in contemporary society. The film explores various relationship models, including traditional monogamy, polyamory, open relationships,"monogamish" relationships (mostly monogamous with agreed-upon flexibility). Philosopher Mark Wrathall serves as the main voice extolling the virtues of traditional monogamous marriage, though with an existentialist twist. Wrathall draws heavily on Søren Kierkegaard in his arguments in support of monogamy.
The documentary addresses the psychological, social, and economic factors that influence relationship choices, while examining the tension between human desires for both security and novelty, a tension that features prominently in the work of Esther Perel.
Monogamish had its world premiere at the Rome Film Festival on October 21, 2015. [3] [4] The film subsequently screened at the Austin Film Festival in October 2016 before making its North American festival debut. It has a runtime of 75 minutes and was released unrated.
In 2017, Abramorama acquired the film for U.S. distribution. The film had its U.S. theatrical release on October 13, 2017, opening at the Roxy Cinema TriBeCa in New York City. [5] The film was distributed by Cargo Film & Releasing and subsequently became available on digital platforms including Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV in early 2018.
Monogamish received generally positive reviews from critics. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 83% based on critic reviews. [6]
The film was released during a period of increasing public discourse about alternative relationship structures, coinciding with growing acceptance of non-traditional relationship models in American culture. [11] [12] The documentary's exploration of these themes through a personal lens contributed to this trend of humanizing polyamory and open relationships.