Materialists Review: Pedro, Dakota and Chris sell you a rom-com dream—Celine Song delivers a satirical sting

Materialists Story:

Lucy (Dakota Johnson), a 30-something woman, works for a matchmaking company and can define a man accurately just by glancing at him. At a wedding she is responsible for matchmaking, she meets Harry (Pedro Pascal), a charming finance guy with the smoothest moves to lure anyone in his vicinity. But that doesn't mean he can make Lucy forget the charming, struggling actor John, whom she once dearly loved. Lucy is now torn between the love that comes with John and the luxury that follows Harry. What will she choose? Is love materialistic? Does being materialistic mean being selfish?

Materialists Review:

Exploring love through cinema is one of the most beautiful forms of art, because with every perspective we learn something new about a feeling that clearly doesn’t have a single definition. Love can be found in staying together, letting go, or even in saying nothing when you probably should have. Nothing can be definitively right or wrong in this case. When filmmakers tell stories filled with the complications of being in love, there’s so much potential for rich, layered narratives—and that is the most interesting thing about it.

Celine Song, who made Past Lives in 2023, is an old-school soul living in a modern world that is rewriting its rules so rapidly that the shift might just leave many of us behind. Song's stories reflect that passage of time—acknowledging both the ones who try to evolve and those who refuse. Meanwhile, watch all these fresh releases on Lionsgate, Zee5, and more.

The idea of the world in Song’s stories is not about the fairy tale love that makes the world seem pink and heavenly. It is the world that kicks in right after the fairy tale fades and reality touches down. At least in her last two films (Past Lives and Materialists), she has constantly tried to capture the space where love triangles can only lead to destruction—especially if the decisions made are not calculated. But can love ever be calculated?

To explore that question, she shapes Lucy—a woman who gives her visiting card to a random stranger on the street who was checking her out. She sells her client as the best "stock of bachelors" in the market and can tell everything about a person just by looking at them.

Materialists, written and directed by Celine Song, frames this debate through a woman played by Madame Web star who is extremely confident in her understanding of people—but deeply underconfident about herself. She believes she is the most non-profitable asset in the matchmaking market and that no “unicorn” man should ever think of her as an ideal partner. Somewhere along the way, the world she proudly represents has convinced her that she can only be the salesperson—never the product. The product is an aspiration she can only admire from afar.

This is where the beauty of Materialists lies and flourishes—because this woman is about to go on a wild ride with two men wanting to woo her, and one of them is a “unicorn.” Unlike Past Lives, Materialists—which plays like a soul sequel to the autobiographical tale—is not just cathartic and slow-burning. It wants to be wild, free, and unapologetically out there. The soul of this story is not restrained and silent, because the woman at its center isn’t. She believes in speaking her heart, even if it means risking the interest of a charming, wealthy man.

But she is also grey. The hypocrisy in her refusal to close her eyes while making out with Harry—just so she can soak in every bit of his $12 million apartment—shapes her so well as a character.

It is remarkable how Celine Song manages to slap us with our own reality in every single detail. People are commodities, and these commodities are in the market to find “suitable” buyers. Unrealistic beauty standards and the urge to have the most attractive partner—whether you love them or not—is now normalized. Song makes sure you see every layer of the updated definition of love, and then some. The opening sequence itself is a masterstroke, highlighting how the emotion of love is not novel to a generation that feels entitled to claim it is.

This is a movie that presents itself as a rom-com, but underneath, it’s a scathing satire of our current perception of love.

What helps Celine, apart from a stellar, strong, and very much in-control Dakota Johnson, are two men: Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans. Pascal brings so much vulnerability to the table while maintaining a firm grip on his softer emotions. Through him, the movie explores the pressure on men to be tall, dark, and handsome. Some achieve this naturally, while others may have to mold themselves into it. But even the ones who get it naturally are often struggling.

Then comes Chris Evans, giving one of the most adorable performances in a long time. Playing a struggling actor in love with a woman as calculated as Lucy requires being a hopeless romantic—and he is. That contrast creates a lot of beautiful sparks.

Materialists is indeed a beautiful story that’s clever enough to masquerade as a rom-com while delivering a potent message. However, the movie also stumbles by not giving its three complex characters enough time alone. We never get to see them when they're left to their own thoughts and vulnerabilities. This is the only—and very significant—place where Materialists falters.

The screenplay also speeds up abruptly toward the end, and it’s noticeable, though the film manages to find its slow-burning rhythm again. The frames are beautiful, the actors even more so, and this is where the technical team shines.

Materialists Review: Final Verdict

Celine Song knows exactly the kind of stories she wants to tell, and she ensures they are told—even if it means bringing in the likes of Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal, and Dakota Johnson to play charming leads who draw people in. Materialists is a satire about our times and our warped ideas of love and companionship, viewed through a bold and engaging lens.

Materialists hits the big screen on June 13, 2025. Stay turned to OTTplay for more information on this and everything else from the world of streaming and films.