Materialists ★★★★

Released: 13 August 2025

Director: Celine Song

Starring: Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal

When it comes to filming a love story, New York is a go-to location with its rich history of being the chaotic, glamorous backdrop for some of cinema’s most memorable romances and romantic comedies. From When Harry Met Sally and Brief Encounter, nothing says love like New York City. Celine Song’s latest film, Materialists, is no exception, following on from her Academy Award-nominated debut Past Lives.

Matchmaker Lucy (Dakota Johnson) prides herself on her work, focusing on finding love for wealthy and successful clientele. Calling herself a voluntary celibate ‘eternal bachelorette’, she captures the attention of rich financier Harry (Pedro Pascal) at a wedding, only to bump into her ex, actor John (Chris Evans).

In Past Lives, Song challenges the idea of soulmates between two childhood sweethearts who have reunited after more than 20 years apart. In her second feature, she again questions the concept of conventional romance. Set in New York, dating in the city has turned into a checklist, where people judge potential partners on their net worth and their age over personality and morals. As characters run down their lofty requirements in a match, it’s a sobering yet practical view on 21st-century dating, when people find dates on apps rather than experience a meet-cute in the street. But with a high-end matchmaker being responsible for finding your ideal partner, can one put a value on love?

Johnson’s coolness and confidence allow Lucy to be a worldly yet intriguing protagonist, an expert in matching singletons for a fee. Along with her conviction to marry someone rich, her materialist nature causes her to treat matches as deals and emotions as commodities, while exuding a reluctance towards commitment. Even when Harry (a surprisingly restrained Pascal) expresses an interest in her, she is too busy assessing his wealth and potential as a client to consider herself a match for him. Altogether, judging a connection by family background and annual income feels like an unfeeling way towards love, yet it plays into the rom-com fantasy of being swept off one’s feet by Prince Charming, who is both attractive and rich.

But similar to Past Lives, there is a buffer in Lucy’s uptown romance, and this comes in the form of John, a cater-waiter aspiring to act in theatre but is ultimately poor. His interactions with Lucy are personal and heartfelt, with her seemingly lowering her guard to speak honestly with him. Wearing his heart on his sleeve, the rugged Evans portrays John as the most grounded character in the ensemble – he wishes to pursue relationships on an emotional, rather than financial, basis, providing the reality check that helps bring Materialists down from its cash-lined cloud.

Meanwhile, Song subtly weaves a degree of realism into her narrative through John’s increased presence. She boldly portrays the darker side of dating that stems from poor matches and unrealistic expectations, creating dents in Lucy’s armour and ambitions about marrying rich. It also shatters the idealism of someone “ticking all the boxes”, especially when Lucy’s longstanding client Sophie (Zoë Winter) has a traumatic dating experience that feels like a significant yet quickly dismissed subplot. These elements allow the third act to meander through conventional romantic-drama territory of realisations and truth bombs, yet they strangely form an emotional epiphany that enables Song to normalise the initial glamour of dating in New York and remind audiences of the struggles of finding a partner.

In her second directorial feature, Song’s sensitive direction creates a visual detachment that highlights the exclusivity and fussiness of Lucy’s clientele. Though not overly funny, there is a physical iciness that emanates from the sharp dialogue, the characters’ body language and their lack of emotion, reiterating that love is not a high priority when it comes to connection. Furthermore, Past Lives cinematographer Shabier Kirchner creates smart visual comparisons amid the film that invite audiences to look closely at how others perceive relationships and intimacy.  For instance, Lucy and Harry’s date in a dimly lit restaurant doesn’t go too deep, while her casual conversations with John, though awkward, spill into the emotive and honest. These creative details are so subtly executed that they may be easily missed at first glance on their own, but these juxtapositions gradually come together by the time the end credits roll with a stunningly simple scene.

Although Materialists isn’t your typical Hollywood rom-com, it is a modern-day New York love story at its heart – clever, honest and beautifully told. Combined with the tender performances and dreamy soundtrack, Song continues to redefine romance in modern cinema.