‘Materialists’ review: prepare to fall head over heels for this smart, sexy rom-com

Sick of Hinge, Bumble, Feeld or Tinder? Then maybe try Materialists. It’s not a dating app but it is one of the sexiest, sharpest looks at modern matchmaking you’ll ever see. For those of you who have ever swiped left, it’ll feel all too familiar – and may yet make you reassess what really matters in a partner.

Dakota Johnson plays Lucy Mason, a failed actress who works for slick Manhattan dating company Adore. She’s good at her job too. When the film starts, this “eternal bachelorette” ducks in to see her latest bride-to-be – her ninth match that’s led to marriage – soothing over her pre-wedding nerves with some coolly chosen words of comfort.

Yet her own permanently-on-ice romantic life is thrown into turmoil at the reception. First, she meets financier Harry (Pedro Pascal), brother to the groom. He’s every woman’s dream: tall, dark, handsome, wealthy and wise. But then, by chance, she runs into her ex-boyfriend John (Chris Evans), a cater-waiter still acting in off-off-off Broadway shows, hoping to kickstart his so-far faltering career.

Who will she pick? The poor ex or the rich newbie? Needless to say, the course of true love does not run smooth, especially when Harry continues to relentlessly pursue Lucy. But there are other issues in her life, namely a woman who was sexually assaulted by another client that Lucy set her up with. This troubling moment, one that bubbles under the surface, sets the previously unruffled Lucy adrift.

The film comes written and directed by playwright-turned-filmmaker Celine Song, who is quietly morphing into one of the most profound chroniclers of contemporary sexual and social mores, following her Oscar-nominated 2023 film Past Lives. Picking up the legacy of Sex And The City and Girls, her films explore the female perspective on dating with humour and care.

As the title suggests, Materialists shows just how tick-box men and women can be when it comes to finding a partner nowadays. One particularly amusing sequence sees Lucy interview various clients, including one middle-aged man who refuses to meet with women over 30. Then there’s things like height, salary and other superficial qualities. Yes, we’ve all been there.

Cast-wise, Song’s movie oozes charm. Evans further deconstructs his Captain America image with this down-on-his-luck thespian. Likewise, Pascal – who can do no wrong at the moment – plays on his current reputation as the internet’s boyfriend with his hunky, tux-wearing fella. To Song’s credit, both are decent men. If anything, it’s the money-mad Lucy who may turn you off.

Somehow Johnson’s sophisticated turn – the best of her career – will keep you on side. As romantic as Materialists is, it’s also realistic which makes it so watchable. Maybe it’s a little obvious where it’ll end up but that isn’t really the point. A film for singles, a film for couples, a film for long-term marrieds, it’s a far greater alternative than hunkering down with Netflix’s Love Is Blind for the summer.

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