Materialists (2025) Movie Review

Materialists (2025) Movie Review: Missing Some Sparks

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After her powerful debut with Past Lives, Celine Song returns with Materialists which is one of our most anticipated films of the year. This time Song once again crafts a story that feels organic and realist which is the kind of film that you feel could happen in real-life. And while Materialists doesn’t quite reach the emotional heights of her debut, it still offers a compelling look on the often illogical nature of love.

Lucy (Dakota Johnson) is a New York matchmaker caught between two very different men. Harry (Pedro Pascal) is a wealthy and charming businessman who can give her everything she wants while John (Chris Evans) is her broke and struggling ex who offers little but a promise of unconditional love and natural chemistry. Who will Lucy choose?

Much like Past Lives, Materialists presents another love triangle setup although much more official this time around. For us, the film’s simplicity is part of its strength. The stakes are clear and the internal conflicts that eventually occur is one that many can relate to. At its core, Materialists explores the push and pull between comfort and connection, between choosing the “right” person and that its never about comfort or money alone. 

The performances are solid across the board. Dakota Johnson brings a quiet complexity to Lucy, and Pedro Pascal is charismatic as expected. Chris Evans was the biggest surprise for us especially most of what we remember him from is being a superhero. His performance was different and the emotional wildcard we needed. That said, the chemistry between the leads sometimes feels lacking and the emotional weight in the love triangle felt missing and lacking. And this sums up where Materialists falls short. Past Lives swept us away with the character's deep aching silences and buried feelings and Materialists never reaches the same emotional heights. Still, even with its flaws, Materialists remains a worthwhile watch which is a grounded and mature look at modern dating and relationships.

Rating: 3 and a half reels