Materialists - 💥💥💥

Director: Celine Song
Writer: Celine Song
Release Date: 15th August 2025
Hot Rating: 💥💥💥

Synopsis: Materialists is a contemporary romantic comedy that follows Lucy (Dakota Johnson), a successful New York City matchmaker. Her professional life gets complicated when she finds herself caught between two very different men: the charming, wealthy and "perfect" Harry (Pedro Pascal), and her less well-off but beloved ex-boyfriend, John (Chris Evans). The film navigates a modern love triangle, exploring the complexities of love and wealth.

Review: Celine Song’s follow-up to Past Lives is a generally enjoyable and witty romantic comedy that is particularly fun in its first half. Dakota Johnson is solid in her role as the high-end matchmaker, but the central love triangle, while fine, doesn't fully land. This is, in part, down to the unconvincing performances from Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal; Evans, despite his charm, never fully inhabits the role of a down-and-out actor, and a particular subplot about height increase surgery, while attempting to touch on real insecurities, comes across as a ridiculous plot device. It's a shame to be so critical of its execution when there is still so much to love; the production design and overall aesthetics are appropriately stylised to intentionally call back to the film's central concept of materialism. Still, while the film is visually beautiful, its central plot never becomes engaging, leaving the final act feeling flat. 

Image: YouTube