'Materialists' review: Celine Song crafts another aching, authentic portrait of modern love

Courtesy of A24

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Writer-director Celine Song burst onto the scene two years ago with “Past Lives,” a heartbreaker of a debut that explored love lost and love gained through the lens of the one who got away. It didn’t sugarcoat. It didn’t wrap things up in a neat bow, the way so many romantic dramas do. Instead, it embraced the messy, complicated realities of longing for what can’t be reclaimed. That alone was impressive, but what truly stood out was how Song handled complex emotional truths with such clarity and restraint. It was the work of a filmmaker with a bright future. Now, with her second feature, “Materialists,” Song proves that promise was no fluke. Like “Past Lives,” this is a film about yearning, connection, and choice, but it charts its own fresh course, digging into our desire for love that is genuine, and real.

“Materialists” is another striking piece of work from a director who understands both the beauty and brutality of modern romance. It also gives us three of the most honest, vulnerable performances Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal have ever delivered. (And yes, I’m including Evans’s legendary turn in “Not Another Teen Movie.”)

What makes this film so effective is its simplicity. Song doesn’t clutter the frame with distractions. Much of the story is driven by people sitting together: talking, listening, reacting. And that’s more riveting than any grand gesture or cinematic flourish.

Johnson plays Lucy, a high-end matchmaker in New York who has built a career helping the city’s wealthiest and most superficial find their so-called soulmates. She reduces human connection to a spreadsheet of metrics: age, height, income, BMI. To Lucy, marriage is a business deal. But her philosophy is put to the test when she meets Harry (Pascal), a handsome, wealthy financier who’s not looking for a match. He’s looking for her.

There’s just one complication: Lucy’s not over her ex. John (Evans) is everything Harry isn’t. He’s a 37-year-old struggling actor, broke, living with three roommates, and cobbling together gigs to get by. The film sets up a clear but compelling contrast, forcing Lucy—and us—to confront a simple question: what does love mean, really?

The results might not be what you expect, but the nuance and layers of this trio are staggering and always engaging. All three characters are remarkably well-rounded and true to themselves. John and Harry are unapologetically who they are, for better or worse, and both actors give them a beating heart. Evans brings a disarming vulnerability to John, whose sincerity makes him easy to root for despite his lack of a penthouse or trust fund. Pascal shines as Harry, a seemingly perfect guy harboring his own insecurities, which, when revealed, lead to one of the film’s most touching and grounded moments. It’s a quiet thrill watching two grown-ups talk through their feelings without malice. Johnson’s Lucy is just as mesmerizing, with the film giving her a confident, layered role that lets her shine in ways we don’t often see.

Perhaps the most impressive thing Song accomplishes here is how she breathes new life into timeworn tropes and romantic clichés, turning them into moments that feel fresh and elegant. The classic interrupted conversation that leads to a kiss, or the meet-cute at a wedding—Song repurposes these familiar beats with a grace that feels both effortless and inspired. A subplot involving one of Lucy’s clients tacks on a bit more conflict than the film really needs, but even that serves as a meaningful bridge to bring two characters closer together.

“Materialists” might be the first romantic dramedy in ten years that truly gets the world it’s depicting. Anyone who’s navigated the dating world, or is still in it, will see pieces of themselves in these characters and their choices. It’s a smart, tender, and deeply human film, a reminder that even in a era obsessed with metrics and surface, real connection still matters and to not give up on finding that special someone in this misbegotten world. 

Grade: A- 

MATERIALIST is now playing in theaters.