Materialists

'Materialists' was not what I expected.

It's been marketed like a rom-com - but honestly? If you're heading in expecting laughs, you'll be disappointed. What you get instead is a sharp, quietly melancholic study on modern love, dating, and loneliness in the big city. It's not so much about romance as it is about emotional bankruptcy - the way ambition, money, and appearances slowly chip away at real connection.

The story follows Lucy, a matchmaker who views relationships like transactions, caught between two opposites: Harry, rich and polished, and John, her sweet but struggling ex. But the real tension isn't between them - it's in her. What does she actually want? Love, comfort, validation? Or just a life that looks good on paper?

Celine Song's style is unmistakable - lingering shots, dialogue that feels like internal monologue, and a quiet ache humming underneath it all. At times, it almost felt like watching a late-era Woody Allen film - not in tone, but in that subtle, creeping sense of urban melancholy. By the end, I didn't feel uplifted. I felt... thoughtful. A bit heavy, even.

This is a film about the emotional numbness that sneaks in when we live our lives through filters - digital and otherwise. About the loneliness hiding behind perfect apartments and curated dating profiles. And how love (or at least the idea of it) gets commodified without us even noticing.

Not a rom-com. Not really even a romance. More of a character study. A mood piece. A quiet critique. And once I let go of what I thought it was meant to be, I found I really liked it, and I hope you do too.

Great cinematography, soundtrack and monologues. However, definitely felt that there were holes in the plot. My friend and I wondered how with so many producers, that these holes were not patched. If they were, the movie could have been great. It wasn't a snoozefest, it did keep you on your toes as to what would happen next. But seemed too dramatic in some areas, and weird bits of humour in others. Nothing flowed as it could have. I didn't mind the actors chosen for the parts - I think they all played well together. I just would have liked more details in some parts, less in others. Will watch again in the future to see how it actually sits with me.

Dakota Johnson is at her best as a matchmaker in Manhattan at the height of her success, but whose own love life is impoverished and full of regrets. Then out of nowhere, she chances to meet a "unicorn" bachelor, a charming, wealthy, educated, handsome (and most importantly tall enough) gentleman (Pedro Pascal, infinitely charismatic) who is in the prime of his career at one of the weddings that her hard work made possible. Their romance seems like a sure thing, but one more fly in the ointment is her old flame (Chris Evans, in a show-stopping performance) resurfacing and bringing back old memories and complications.

The three principals are at the top of their game in this charming but layered film that doesn't quite fit the bill of an archetypal romantic comedy. A darker, more hard-hitting subplot adds some degree of unpredictability. A beguiling soundtrack adds a feeling of wonder. While there were moments when I wished the film could have been bolder, it still delivered and drove home the point about how extremely difficult the dating world in New York can be for men and women alike. You have the enormous pool of dating prospects, the mercurial expectations, a touch of unhappiness and the specter of hope in the distance. That's my way of saying I enjoyed this film very much. Gladly recommended.

Celine Song is the writer and Director of "Past Lives" (2023) and all I can say it's one of the best films I've ever seen.

Unfortunately the same style and formula made for Past Lives didn't work this time with Materialists. The storytelling of body language, lack of words, the lack of explanation, lack details in their dialogue, the simplicity didn't really add to the story where as Past Lives worked perfectly.

Sorry if I compare it to Past Lives, I know I shouldn't they're both completely different. Besides its not fair.

I think this movie could have been great if the writer would've written the screenplay as realistic as possible. The movie would hit completely different.

I love Pedro Pascal, I'm a fan of his and have posters of him in my room and stuff. Dakota and Chris are great actors, in general the actors did what they could with the script they were given.

Even though I was underwhelmed I was thoroughly entertained the whole time I watched the movie and that's what movies are supposed to do. Maybe it deserves a higher score.

Dakota Johnson acts as if she's reading off of a script in front of her. She has no change in tone, no depth to her voice or emotions. Even Pedro was underwhelming in this role. It felt as though Celine Song was attempting to make this film have an incredibly deep and moving message, but it didn't come across as she intended. They marketed this movie as a rom-com, disappointing me when I realized it wasn't. It could have been redeemed by a compelling story but the poor acting and awkward conveyance of a boring intended message proved the film irredeemable. Anyone other than Dakota Johnson would've worked better. Next time cast Daisy Edgar Jones.