FILM REVIEW: Materialists Starring Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal

Stone Cold Romance

Minor Spoilers Ahead, FYI

“A romantic comedy where?” That seems to be online sentiment buzzing around Materialists, Celine Song’s new film starring Chris Evans, Dakota Johnson, and Pedro Pascal. It markets itself as one, which I do not blame A24, considering these three actors are at their best when charming their way through press junkets. Those familiar with Celine Song’s previous film Past Lives know that the answer is not quite that simple. What the film ends up being is a romantic comedy. It lays itself out differently than the genre has nailed in our minds for decades. I do not think it subverts the entire genre, but it certainly gives it room to realistically breathe. What it uncovers might hit a little too close to home for some.

Celine Song’s vision is to showcase what modern dating, especially in New York City, can be like. A focus on the materials and checklists of finding the Perfect Person while tripping over our own egos along the way. Is it love when someone checks all our boxes yet we still miss that essential piece we cannot accurately describe? That piece comes from a cooler, more distant place. By embracing the cool, the film feels like an antithesis to the warmth these kinds of films are “supposed” to bring. With a pace that is intentionally slowed down by off-beat dialogue, the chemistry comes from that cooling. The films builds up a version of New York City that is both distant yet so familiar. We could all live there, and some of us really do. The film hits a soft nerve that will have many people debating not only this year but many years to come.

poster inside movie theater for Materialists

Johnson plays Lucy, a NYC matchmaker whose expertise seems to be finding the perfect match for the most imperfect of (rich) people. At the wedding of one of her clients, she runs into Harry (Pedro Pascal), the brother of the groom. Instead of wanting her services, he requests a date with her. While that is happening, one of the waiters is her ex-boyfriend John (Chris Evans), who also tries to re-connect with Lucy. She ends up with Harry, while also keeping John close by via the re-connection. The film continues to explore the decisions Lucy makes and the journey to get to where she may or may not need to be.

The rom-com is known for being a huge “will they/won’t they” genre. Here, I did not find that to be the case. The direction of the entire thing seems purposefully telegraphed towards what ends up being the final destination. The point seems to be getting to the emotional state that Lucy finds herself in. She even calls herself out at one point, saying that by knowing the entire dating playbook she knows she is shallow and maybe that is the problem. Our society today screams of cynical individualism, so hearing that said to a multi-millionaire feels pretty bold (and effective).

Dakota Johnson and Chris Evans have similar acting styles. The line delivery is flat, but it is all about the facial expressions. When you have someone who understands film space like Celine Song, it turns out to be an advantage. (The same cannot be said for some of Johnson’s previous performances.) Some will find the acting shallow without realizing that Lucy is a shallow person. It is on purpose that it feels flat. The dialogue is delivered on a delay. That intentionally slows the pace of the entire film, allowing us breathing room in a genre that normally telegraphs where our allegiances should lie. It very much worked for me, and I would even go so far as to say it will bode well as time goes on. I also think it made storylines that deal with weighty subject matter work. It is a constant reminder that yes dating can be fun as a numbers game, but the numbers are human beings.

Many people seem to be projecting their own decisions upon a character that is probably more similar to many than we want to admit. Of course, they will not like the resolution if that is the case. It is not, however, the case that I think Song is trying to make. I found it to be a romantic story about human beings making human being mistakes. Some mistakes more costly than others. It is what has made the world go round since the dawn of Man, fortunately and unfortunately.