Celine Song’s Film Materialists Releases With Mixed Reviews

Materialists, directed by Celine Song, is a romantic comedy centered on Lucy (Dakota Johnson), a successful New York matchmaker navigating a love triangle with Harry (Pedro Pascal), a wealthy hedge funder, and John (Chris Evans), an aspiring actor with financial struggles. The film explores themes of love versus financial security, with Lucy’s pragmatic approach to romance reflecting the high-end matchmaking industry where luxury and wealth often dictate relationships. While the movie begins with a fresh and promising tone, pacing issues and a lack of chemistry, particularly involving Johnson and Evans, diminish its emotional impact. Production design highlights the contrast between Harry’s $12 million Tribeca penthouse and John’s modest Brooklyn apartment, symbolizing the characters' divergent lifestyles and values. Critics note that despite its rom-com facade, Materialists offers a deeper, more complex commentary on contemporary relationships and the role of materialism therein. Performances by Pascal and Evans are praised for emotional depth, though Johnson’s portrayal received mixed reviews, with some finding her character humanized beyond initial impressions of selfishness.