A young New York City matchmaker's lucrative business gets complicated as she finds herself torn between the perfect match and her imperfect ex.
Director: Celine Song
Cast: Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal
Release Date: June 13, 2025
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Rated R for language and brief sexual material.
Runtime: 1h 49m
Review:
Celine Song's sophomore film, Materialist, isn't quite as focused as Past Lives but it’s a fascinatingly uneven rumination on dating powered by strong performances from its central trio. Song's film initially feels like a standard rom-com set up but it clear from the outset that she's got more on her mind than that as she uses tropes to lure us into something more interesting. The debonair rich suitor vs downtrodden, love sick loser is a classic set up but here its deconstructed to something more honest. Each suitor plays to one half of Dakota Johnson's Lucy with one serving as the answer to her analytical and more materialistic side while the other remains more abstract in spite of history and common sense. Johnson and Pedro Pascal scenes together are played up with an air of elegance and refinement while maintaining as sense of artificial detachment. Pascal has his charm level set to max with his character's ultimate failing not being the standard issue anger, womanizing or drug problem that these characters are typically saddled with but something inaner and shallow. Pascal still manages to bring an air of humanity to the role, something that's typically missing from this kind of character. He and Johnson make for a solid screen couple but some of their discussions feel a bit too artificial and scripted, far removed from natural conversation. Johnson’s scenes with her ex-beau, played with just the right level of hapless innocence by Chris Evans, come across a bit more naturally and nuanced. They deliver solid, subtle work as we get a sense of their shared history with every look and pause conveying volumes of information. Evans is given plenty of sweet, swoon worthy moments that are sure to melt many hearts serving as effective foil to Pascal's more measured and calculated aura. A handful of tonal shifts shake up the film's flow, making it a choppier experience as the focus shifts far too often at inopportune times. A more focused approach on the central trio would have made the whole thing more effective but those looking for a more thoughtful rom-com will find plenty to enjoy with Materialists.
B
