After Past Lives showed that Celine Song could tell deeply emotional stories, her new film Materialists takes a very different direction. This time, she dives into the world of modern dating with a sharp, provocative romantic comedy. While her debut focused on the emotional weight of paths not taken, Materialists asks a more current question: in a world where people often treat dating like a checklist, can real love survive?
So Dakota Johnson plays Lucy, this NYC matchmaker who's basically built her entire life around one rule: only date rich guys. She works at this fancy firm called Adore where she's arranged nine marriages, and she's literally celibate by choice until she finds her wealthy husband. At a client's wedding, she meets two guys who completely flip her world upside down. There's Harry, played by Pedro Pascal, who's this charming financier and the groom's brother. Then there's Chris Evans as John, her ex-boyfriend who's now working as a caterer while trying to make it as an actor. You can immediately see why they broke up - he's broke, she's obsessed with money, classic incompatibility.
Harry doesn't give up on Lucy even when she insists he should become a client instead of asking her out. He wins her over with all the fancy NYC date stuff - expensive restaurants, thoughtful gestures, the whole nine yards. Meanwhile, Lucy's business is thriving. She matches her long-time client Sophie with this wealthy guy Mark, and everything seems perfect. Lucy and Harry even show up to John's off-Broadway show together, which is awkward as hell because you can tell John still has feelings.
Then the movie takes this dark turn that I absolutely did not see coming. Sophie gets assaulted by Mark at that same wedding where Lucy met Harry. Like, he gropes her and punches her on the dance floor. Sophie ends up suing Adore, and Lucy's boss Violet tells her to just drop it and move on. But Lucy defies her and goes to apologize to Sophie, who completely explodes at her. Sophie basically calls her a pimp and blames her for the whole thing, saying Lucy only cares about money, never love. Their friendship is destroyed, and honestly, Sophie had a point.
While packing for this romantic Iceland trip with Harry, Lucy finds an engagement ring in his suitcase. That same night, Harry drops this bombshell that he secretly had leg-lengthening surgery to be taller. Pedro Pascal plays this scene so well - Harry's actually proud of the surgery and how it changed his life. But when Lucy finds out, something shifts. She tells him it doesn't change how she sees him, but then she hits him with "I don't actually love you" and breaks up with him. Just like that. The ring, the trip, everything - gone.
Now Lucy's broke and homeless, so she crashes with John. They end up taking this road trip to his friend's wedding upstate, and at the reception, Lucy just kisses him out of nowhere. John confesses he's always loved her and can picture their whole future together, while Lucy admits her obsession with wealth almost cost her everything. But she's still not ready to commit - she's torn between wanting financial security and the messy, complicated love John represents.
The climax happens when Sophie calls Lucy in a panic because Mark is outside her apartment. Lucy and John rush over to help, and even though Mark's already fled, Lucy helps Sophie file a restraining order. Seeing Sophie that terrified and vulnerable finally breaks through Lucy's walls. Sophie forgives her, and John tells Lucy he wants to try again, promising to work harder for their relationship. Lucy, finally understanding what really matters, says yes.
The movie ends with Lucy getting promoted to run Adore's New York office, which is ironic since she was planning to quit out of guilt. Harry's signed up as a client now that he's single, and Sophie's happily dating someone new. In the final scene, John nervously proposes to Lucy over lunch in Central Park, she says yes, and we see them getting their marriage license along with other couples.
Now, about the performances - Dakota Johnson is... interesting in this. She plays Lucy as incredibly controlled and logical, almost cold. I noticed she barely smiles or shows emotion throughout most of the movie, which some people found realistic for a businesslike matchmaker, but others found off-putting. I'll be honest, there were moments where I felt like her acting was flat compared to Chris Evans and Pedro, like I couldn't connect with her emotionally. The deadpan delivery works sometimes, but in the bigger emotional scenes, it had no weight at all.
Chris Evans completely surprised me though. Seeing him as this regular guy with roommates was a big change from his usual roles. He brings this genuine warmth and vulnerability to John that made me root for him even when I questioned why he'd still love Lucy after how she treated him. That scene where he confesses his love at the wedding genuinely moved me.
Pedro Pascal is great in the time he has, even if his role is shorter than I expected. He makes Harry charming and likable, so when that surgery reveal happens, you actually feel for him. The way he casually mentions it like it's no big deal, but then admits he wouldn't have had the courage to approach Lucy if he were shorter - Pascal plays that complexity perfectly.
But Zoë Winters as Sophie absolutely steals this movie. She brings such raw emotion to every scene, especially when she's yelling at Lucy at the club. That "You're a fucking pimp!" line hit like a truck. And later, when she's terrified about Mark being outside her apartment, Winters makes you feel her fear so viscerally. She grounds the whole movie in real human emotion.
The assault subplot is probably the most controversial part of the film. Some people felt it was handled poorly or seemed tacked on, but I thought it served an important purpose in Lucy's character development. It forces her to confront the real consequences of treating people like commodities. The fact that Lucy immediately believes Sophie and rushes to help her shows there's genuine care underneath all that cold professionalism.
What really stuck with me about this movie is how it examines modern dating culture. Lucy's obsession with checking boxes - tall, rich, successful - is something so many people do, whether they admit it or not. The movie asks whether love can really be reduced to a spreadsheet, and Lucy's journey suggests it can't. That line about people not being math equations really resonated with me.
The Harry storyline with the leg surgery is fascinating too. It's this commentary on how society makes people feel inadequate about things they can't control, and how far some will go to "fix" themselves. Pascal plays it without shame, which makes it more poignant.
Visually, the movie is gorgeous. It was shot on 35mm film, and you can tell - New York looks both romantic and real. The cinematography captures that specific NYC dating scene atmosphere perfectly. The soundtrack also adds a lot to the mood, with these subtle musical choices that enhance the emotional beats without being overwhelming.
I have to say, the reactions to this movie are all over the place. I saw it with friends and we argued about it for an hour afterward. Some people love the sharp social commentary and think it's a mature take on romance. Others find it slow or think the characters lack chemistry. The Dakota Johnson criticism seems particularly harsh - I've seen people say she ruined the movie, which I think is fair, her performance didn't always work for me.
The biggest debate seems to be about Lucy's final choice. Some people think she's crazy to leave Harry for John, giving up financial security for love. Others argue that she was never actually in love with Harry and was just using him for status. I fall somewhere in the middle - I think the movie shows that Lucy's attraction to wealth was really about her own insecurity and fear of being vulnerable.
What will surprise you the most was how the movie will make you examine your own dating patterns. Like, how many times have people written someone off because they didn't check certain boxes? How much do people let practical considerations override genuine connection? It's uncomfortable to think about, but that's what good movies do.
The ending with John's proposal is sweet, but I found myself wondering if Lucy has really changed or if she's just swinging to the opposite extreme. The movie doesn't give easy answers, which I appreciate. Love isn't a neat equation, and neither is this film.
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