Materialists (2025)
While some writers have referred to writer-director Celine Song's new film Materialists as a rom-com, that's not really accurate. Yes, there are scattered laughs, and, yes, there is romance, but the film is more of a thoughtful examination of dating, relationships, and the unrealistic expectations people place on each other.
Lucy (Dakota Johnson) is a Manhattan
matchmaker catering to a high-end clientele. Her clients, both male and female,
often come with a list of stringent and sometimes ridiculous deal-breakers
(most of the film's laughs come from these scenes). She meets Harry (Pedro
Pascal), a man who seems to be perfect (rich, handsome, tall, educated,
gentlemanly, etc.). At the same time, she also runs into her ex-boyfriend John
(Chris Evans), a struggling actor working catering gigs as he copes with having
multiple roommates at age 37.
Materialists very vividly
depicts the perils and frustrations of the dating scene for people in the 35-50
range. There's the desperation that comes with the increasing fear of ending up
alone plus the fact that everyone past a certain age carries a certain amount
of baggage. And many people, despite their loneliness, develop stricter standards
and deal-breakers as they age (a female client refuses to date anyone even an
inch under six feet tall, and a male client pushing 50 refuses to date anyone
beyond their late 20s). The film also understands that while considerations
like money shouldn't matter in theory when love is involved, they often do.
Lucy and John's relationship ended in large part because they were both poor
and constantly fighting about money.
The
three main characters all feel like fully fleshed out human beings. Even though
Harry could have easily been a one-dimensional dream figure, Song's script
reveals that there's more going on under his seemingly perfect surface, too.
Materialists is a good bet for
adults looking to escape the summer's standard blockbuster fare.
