Review: Materialists

Synopsis: A young, ambitious New York City matchmaker finds herself torn between the perfect match and her imperfect ex.

What We Thought:

With Past Lives and now Materialists, Celine Song is 2 for 2 in quality films. Yes I think Past Lives is the better movie, but to steal a line from a friend (who stole the idea from the movie), Materialists checks a lot of boxes you expect and want in a film. It has its flaws and I’m not sure if a younger audience will love it, but it’s something I’d revisit later on.

Dakota Johnson plays Lucy, a matchmaker to high end clientele. While at a wedding for a couple she set up, she meets the brother of the groom. This is Pedro Pascal’s character named Harry. Harry is very high end and is interested in Lucy, not her services. When he offers to buy her a drink, a waiter puts down the exact (odd) order. This is Lucy’s ex, John, played by Chris Evans. John is not high end, he’s a struggling actor taking jobs as a waiter to pay the bills.

The first half of the film you try to figure out who Lucy will end up with. Will she go with someone new or someone tried & true? Each have their positives and each have their negatives. Lucy is practical and treats it like math because that’s what her job has shown her. The second half is Lucy figuring out that math and the resulting decision.

What Celine Song does best is give the audience quality characters with authentic dialogue. As someone who’s done some acting in real life I loved the John character. Evans brings his everyman charm to him, but Song’s words have me thinking that she has 100% dated an actor or creative type in real life. There is a flashback to when John and Lucy break up and you don’t have that fight with those two characters if you haven’t had that fight in the real world yourself. Lucy wants more and hates John for being poor, having roommates and a beat up car. But Lucy also loves his passion. I’ve never met Celine Song, but I would guarantee she’s spoken similar words or had that exact fight in the past.

Lucy, John and Harry feel like real people. If you’re single and over 30, you can relate to them and today’s dating scene. People of a certain age range want someone that checks all their boxes, height, career, finances, family background, etc. You either think you’ll end up alone or are willing to go out every night with someone from a matchmaker or app. Song captures the desperation and struggle effortlessly.

The only real drawback to the film is a side story that doesn’t 100% work for me. I won’t spoil it because it will be powerful to other viewers, but there is a client who goes through something. At first it works because it makes Lucy question things, but by film’s end there is no real payoff for such a heavy topic. It doesn’t land the way it should when the characters get to the same ending they would have without it.

Other than that, Materialists is a solid sophomore follow up for Celine Song. I liked the chemistry between Johnson and Evans more than Johnson and Pascal. I do think Pascal’s Harry could have been played by almost anyone, but he’s a hot commodity right now even if I don’t get the draw. Chris Evans looks like a superhero in real life, but I actually prefer him in these everyman type roles. Two of my favorite films of his are Gifted where he plays an everyday uncle and Before We Go which he also directed. Dakota Johnson is very easy on the eyes and she makes Lucy easy to root for and understand at the same time. I’m curious to see if audiences will like the outcome and also whether or not an under 30 crowd will go for it. If you liked Past Lives you’ll enjoy it and I can’t wait to see more front stoops and 180 Rule framing from Ms. Song’s third film.