Materialists Review

Materialists is the new romance film by studio A24. This is the 2nd film directed by Celine Song who previously directed one of the best films of 2023 that being Past Lives. I’ve always said that no one writes romance better than woman directors and Materialists is a great example of why. Materials takes an excellent approach to modern dating in this film when the perfect match maker Lucy (played by Dakota Johnson) is torn between a new bachelor, Harry (Pedro Pascal) and her ex-boyfriend John (played by Chris Evans).

Now while, I had no doubt in Celine Song giving us another great film, I was very skeptical when Dakota Johnson and Chris Evans were casted in this film. Chris Evans hasn't had a lot of great films post-MCU, meanwhile Dakota Johnson has a lot of potential but getting her to display some personality in her performances is like trying to eat popcorn without getting a kernel stuck in your teeth. However, i’m glad I was wrong because while I wasn't concerned about Pedro Pascal, Dakota Johnson gave us a great performance and she had excellent chemistry with both male love interest.

There is a lot of love between Lucy and John even though they aren't together anymore. Lucy was looking for something more long-term and her unhappiness with being with someone that isn't financially stable would have just made her miserable in the long run. A lot of couples grow together, but if one isn't making any effort to grow then staying with them is just mentally draining so I completely understand where Lucy was coming from.

Lucy's failed relationship with John was a win in Harry's case. The one thing that Lucy wanted John to be was financially secure. While he doesn't check that box, Harry (Pedro Pascal) sure does. When Lucy and Harry first met she explained to Harry why they weren’t going to work out, however, Harry was too busy looking at the finish line and not living in the moment with Lucy. While, on paper they seem like a good couple, Lucy was only looking at the expensive life that Harry was living. She was so distracted by the expansive dinner dates, fancy apartments and cars that it took her a while to realize she's only with Harry for the material things instead of being with him because she loves him.

In a lot of ways I actually think that Lucy is just as bad and shallow as some of the clients that she deals with. Lucy tells some of her clients that they’re setting their standards too high and that some of them have unrealistic expectations. If only she listened to her advice sooner because sometimes your so called, “dream partner" is just someone fabricated in your head.

Something else, I really like about this movie is how shallow both sides of the dating pool are. Older men looking for younger women, meanwhile, women having a whole laundry list on what they want in a partner. Yes, I get that lying on dating apps is wrong, however, a lot of women like tall guys so them lying about their height is completely understandable.

Materialists also does a great job at displaying the dangers of modern dating for women. Celine Song pulls out another victory with this excellent film on modern dating. Great performances all around and I can't wait to see where this ranks for me at the end of the year.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5