The Ex (2006)

Emerging from the pulsating heart of New York City, Sofia Kowalski and Tom Reilly juggle their bustling lives as a formidable environmental lawyer and a passionate but scattered chef respectively. Despite their starkly contrasting pay scales, they jointly decide that Sofia will surrender her courtroom battles to embrace the joys of motherhood upon the birth of their unborn son Oliver, making Tom the solitary breadwinner. Yet fate interjects, and Tom is abruptly fired, a familiar narrative in his capricious career path. This unforeseen event forces Tom to accept an offer from Sofia's father, Bob Kowalski, to join an advertising firm in the placid landscapes of Sofia's Ohio hometown. Bob, a senior manager at the firm, pairs Tom with Chip Sanders, an ambitious and wheelchair-bound prodigy who shares a high school history with Sofia. Navigating the firm's idiosyncratic ethos and Chip's covert disdain becomes a daunting challenge for Tom, who begins to suspect that Chip is plotting to sabotage his life and rekindle a romantic flame with Sofia, a suspicion fueled by the revelation of their intimate past. Meanwhile, Sofia grapples with her own set of tribulations in Ohio, finding herself at odds with the town's clique of mothers, particularly her former classmate Abby March. Yet she conceals her discontent, focusing on Tom's escalating paranoia and erratic behavior. As Chip's machinations intensify, Tom finds himself in a desperate battle to convince Sofia and her father of Chip's insidious intentions, while the rest of the town remains captivated by Chip's charm and resilience. Caught in a maelish whirl of professional rivalry, past love, and family expectations, Tom's life begins to crumble. With Sofia seemingly siding with Chip, and his career hanging by a thread, Tom is left to wonder if he's destined to be the eternal underdog in his own life story. This riveting tale of love, ambition, and deception explores the lengths one man will go to protect his family and secure his place in a world that seems relentlessly stacked against him.

The Ex is a comedy movie featuring Zach Braff and directed by Jesse Peretz.

The Ex is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Freevee, Plex, Plex Player, Pluto TV, The CW, The Roku Channel and Tubi TV.

It is also possible to buy The Ex on AMC on Demand, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Microsoft Store, Vudu and YouTube or rent it on DIRECTV.