Note: Starting in January 2025, we began publishing long-form DVD reviews written by GFPL staffers. The DVDs are all available to check out at the Library, or from one of our Partner Libraries. We post a new review each month! Come back next month to find the next review.

‘Materialists’ is actually a deep romantic film on authentic love

Review by Autumn, Library Specialist

Materialists is a romantic dra-medy directed by Celine Song, starring Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, and Chris Evans. The film follows a love triangle involving Lucy (Johnson), a matchmaker, John (Evans), an aspiring actor, and Harry (Pascal), a charming millionaire. Set against the backdrop of New York City, Lucy struggles to find love while also being numb to the idea of it.

The film starts off with Lucy giving some bad news to her client, Sophie. The amazing date that she went on last night is not going to happen again because of shallow reasons from the other party involved. Lucy assures Sophie that she’ll be able to find love and they just need to look somewhere else and suggests Sophie lower her standards. Cut to later that night, Lucy is being celebrated at her company for scoring her 9th wedding for her clients.

Lucy attends her former client’s wedding, where she meets Harry, the brother of the groom, and a financier. He asks her a few questions about her job, and they start to hit it off when they are interrupted by John, a waiter at the wedding. Lucy jumps up to hug him for a while, the awkward tension palpable through the screen. They agree to meet up later to catch up. During their catch-up outside the wedding venue, we find out that John and Lucy used to date, but broke up a five year relationship over money issues. It’s clear that Lucy and John still love each other, but both are hesitant to admit it. Back at the wedding, Lucy and Harry dance, with Harry asking Lucy out on a date, and Lucy turning him down, insisting that he wouldn’t want to date her. Then begins a series of dates between Lucy and Harry, with Lucy learning more about Harry.

After a few weeks of Lucy and Harry dating, Lucy reiterates that she doesn’t know why Harry is pursuing her as he could have anyone. He explains that he wants someone who challenges him and he gets that with her. She tells him that he makes her feel valuable, and he tells her that she is valuable. Harry and Lucy then make their relationship official.

As a matchmaker, Lucy’s clients are rich, all of them are unwavering in their pursuit of a partner. Watching Lucy interact with her clients, you come to find out that they are all awful and constantly require unrealistic standards in their partners, but Lucy handles them all in stride. Then, the unthinkable happens to Sophie, and Lucy starts to see her clients and the world around her as what it is, shallow.

She realizes that maybe money can’t fix everything and some things aren’t meant to be fixed. Some things in life are just messy and that’s just how it is.

Through great production quality, a story of love in the toughest of times blooms. Materialists is an introspection into our deepest wants in a life partner while also exploring and navigating the shallowest parts of those wants. The juxtaposition of the two main love interests is a manifestation of those wants. With Harry, Lucy has money and stability. But with John, Lucy has love, friendship, and understanding.

With a runtime of just under 2 hours, I personally did not feel like I was wasting my time. In fact, I enjoyed the nuance and the small callbacks throughout the film. However, I feel that this is a one-and-done. Originally billed as a rom-com, I felt myself drawn to the movie. I love rom-coms, Pedro Pascal, Chris Evans, and I enjoy some of Dakota Johnson’s projects. I have also heard really good things about Celine Song’s previous film, Past Lives. But Materialists is more of a romantic drama; there were some attempts at comedy, but they mostly fell flat.

Dakota Johnson has been largely criticized for lack of acting, and while her acting could use a bit more life, she was more reactive this time around. Pedro Pascal strives in displaying quiet confidence in the face of insecurity. Chris Evans is the embodiment of barely scraping by in a city you can’t afford to live in while seeing the hope and opportunity it has to offer.

Materialists is a good watch if you want to enjoy a film about finding what really matters to you in a life partner. The message is clear and to the point while looking visually impeccable.