Movie #19: The Materialists

I was on a rom-com wave and wanted to go to the theaters, so I decided to see "The Materialists" directed by Celine Song in 2025 starring Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, and Chris Evans. It is safe to say that I had extremely high hopes. 

Johnson stars as Lucy, a professional matchmaker who attends a wedding of a couple she matched. There, she meets Harry (Pascal), the brother of the groom who is an immensely wealthy yet charming man. They have immediate chemistry but are interrupted by her ex-boyfriend John (Evans) who is working as caterer. As romance progresses between Harry and Lucy, a tragic event occurs at her workplace that makes her question love and her career. Lucy must decide between comfort and passion. 

My hopes came crashing down by the end of this movie. Song is an extremely talented director and while the production and shots were very beautiful and A24-approved, the story lost me. The premise was for Lucy to pick between love and money which I think is a very basic and overused plot that I do not think is always the necessary choice. Why can't the main girl have both?? That is not to say the piece did not move me, I am just not sure it needed to be a two-hour movie. 

Maybe it was also Johnson. I am not quite sure if she can act. People say that she cannot, but I liked her in "Am I Ok?" but many did not. I am easily swayed by public opinion. She is hair goals though. Evans did a good job but of course the standout performance was Pascal. I was not a huge fan prior to this, but I definitely am now. He conveyed the character with such depth and emotion and almost had me falling in love. I see many romance films in his future. 

If anything, this movie just made me depressed. Possibly by the thought of love lost due to poverty or the concept that money has to do with love at all. But it does. Love is not only passion but caring for another. The latter is extremely hard to do when you are broke. Lack of money causes stress which causes tension within relationships, particularly if children are involved as well. This can destroy even the best relationships. And this does not make someone vain or cold as this movie made it out to seem, but it makes someone practical. While I do preach that you will find love, you must be willing to work for it.

All this being said, I am disappointed in Song. "Past Lives" is one of my most favorite movies and I was looking forward to her next project. All hope is not lost, maybe just have a better script next time. I still love you!

The movie is now in Theaters as I saw it at my local AMC, but you can wait until streaming.