Materialists (2025) – Why This Star-Studded Romance Misses the Mark
Materialists review incoming, and let’s be real, when you hear the names Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal headlining a romantic drama, you expect fireworks. Perhaps a glitzy, emotionally charged, possibly witty love triangle, right? Well, hold on to your expectations. Celine Song’s Materialists plays with those very assumptions, but what it delivers is something… else.
If you walked into the theatre hoping for a glossy, big-budget rom-com set in New York, you’re in for a surprise and not necessarily the good kind. Despite the marketing push suggesting a breezy summer romance, Materialists leans far more into the arthouse corner, diverging from the charm of classic Julia Roberts-era rom-coms. And unlike Past Lives, Celine Song’s celebrated debut that melted hearts with quiet melancholy and emotional depth, this one just doesn’t land with the same grace.
The Plot – Love, Metrics, and Missed Connections
The story centres around Lucy (played by Dakota Johnson), a modern-day matchmaker in NYC. She meets Harry Castillo (Pedro Pascal), a suave, charming billionaire who ticks all the right boxes on her carefully curated relationship checklist. He’s rich, tall, and charismatic – basically a walking green flag in her data-driven world of dating.
Enter John (Chris Evans), Lucy’s struggling actor ex-boyfriend, still nursing a broken heart while living with some truly demonic roommates. When they run into each other, their unresolved past reignites old feelings and forces Lucy to reevaluate everything she thought she knew about love, compatibility, and what truly matters in a relationship.
Lucy, who is a hyper-self-aware character, someone who’s boiled down marriage to a pragmatic business arrangement and reduced it to numbers, starts questioning her ideology after a client suffers harassment from a match she arranged. This subplot, while dealing with a serious issue, feels oddly rushed and mostly serves as a plot device to catalyse her emotional turnaround.
A Modern Take That Feels Stuck in Neutral
The character arcs, while ambitious, feel unearned. Lucy goes from ruthlessly pragmatic to hopeless romantic seemingly overnight. She ends things with Harry after discovering he plans to propose and jumps into a spontaneous road trip with John, the same John who earlier seemingly dismissed her job as nothing serious and “only dating”.
It’s confusing, not because the characters are complex (which would be welcome), but because their transitions don’t feel fully justified. Lucy’s sudden guilt, her decision to quit a job she seemed deeply invested in, and her about-face on everything she believed in – it all feels too convenient.
Even Harry, who undergoes a height enhancement surgery (yes, that’s a real subplot), becomes a punchline to the film’s unclear commentary on dating standards. Apparently, even billions can’t beat six extra inches – who knew?
Performance vs Plot – A Wasted Opportunity
To its credit, the performances are solid. Dakota Johnson delivers a nuanced portrayal of a woman torn between logic and longing. Chris Evans stands out as the vulnerable, slightly awkward ex. Pedro Pascal brings undeniable charm to a role that’s sadly underutilised, and yes, you’re right to notice he’s listed last in the opening credits. That usually screams limited screen time, and here it definitely holds true.
But even great performances can’t save a movie from structural chaos. The pacing is uneven, side plots feel shoehorned, and character development is more suggestive than earned.
Materialists Review: Final Verdict – A Beautiful Letdown
Materialists feels like a movie caught between two identities, the commercial appeal of an A-list romance and the introspective depth of an indie character study. And unfortunately, it doesn’t fully commit to either. There’s an unmistakable sense that something’s missing, like an undercooked dish made with premium ingredients.
The ending, while neat and “happy”, clashes with the rest of Lucy’s character arc. Her financial caution, deeply rooted in reality, is suddenly tossed aside for love, the very thing she spent most of the movie doubting. It’s jarring, not in a charming, subversive way, but in a “wait, what just happened?” kind of way.
If you can overlook the shaky logic and go in expecting vibes over structure, Materialists can still be enjoyable. I’d give it a solid 3 out of 5. Not bad, not great, just frustratingly mid, considering the talent involved.
Rating:
Verdict: Watch it or skip it?
So, watch Materialists or skip it? I’d say skip the theatre, catch it on streaming, and save your popcorn budget for something with a bit more bite.
So what did you think of Materialists? Was it a refreshing take on love or a forgettable misfire? Comment below, let’s talk. For more such reviews, click here. And if you want more details on the Materialists, we’ve got you covered here.
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