Materialists (2025) feels like a transitional work. It shows Celine Song experimenting with scale, ensemble dynamics, and new narrative textures—but it lacks the intimacy and precision that defined Past Lives. It’s a movie with moments that flirt with those same highs in small doses, but one that ultimately falls short. Still, it leaves me hopeful: the emotional territory Song wants to chart is rare in contemporary cinema, and while Materialists stumbles, it’s a sign that she’s aiming high. Her best films are likely still ahead.
‘Materialists’ Movie Review
Materialists, the sophomore feature from Celine Song, arrives on the heels of her widely acclaimed debut Past Lives—a film so delicate, deep, and emotionally resonant that any follow-up was bound to be measured against its quiet brilliance. And unfortunately, Materialists never quite escapes its predecessor’s shadow. While it reaches for similarly ambitious emotional terrain (modern love, longing, the intersections of career and connection) it ends up feeling both overstuffed and undercooked.
Once again collaborating with A24, Song assembles a glossy, star-studded ensemble for Materialists, headlined by Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, and Chris Evans. Johnson stars as Lucy, a high-end NYC matchmaker who’s become increasingly cynical about romance, treating love less like magic and more like a transaction. She’s meticulous and controlling in her professional life, but personally detached—her criteria for a suitable partner boiled down to one key qualifier: extreme wealth.
At a wedding for one of her matchmaking successes, Lucy meets Harry (Pedro Pascal), the groom’s wealthy brother, whose charisma and instant interest spark a relationship. Complicating things is the sudden reappearance of John (Chris Evans), Lucy’s broke-but-charming ex, now working catering gigs while chasing a modest acting career. The triangle sets the stage for a familiar but potentially rich romantic drama.
But while Materialists has all the ingredients for something emotionally resonant—Song’s eye for nuance, a strong cast, sharp observations about love and class—it juggles too many plot threads and loses focus in the process. Instead of the concentrated emotional clarity of Past Lives, this film spins through Lucy’s work life, her personal confusion, and various subplots, including an unsettling storyline involving her client Sophie (Zoe Winters, excellent in limited screen time), whose romantic journey takes a disturbing turn. It’s an ambitious web, but the film spreads itself too thin to land most of its emotional beats.
Perhaps most disappointingly, the film underuses its two male leads. Chris Evans delivers a charming, somewhat shaggy performance—imagine a scruffier, younger Sam Rockwell—and his scenes with Johnson carry the most emotional spark. But he disappears for long stretches. Pedro Pascal, while magnetic in his initial appearance, never quite finds chemistry with Johnson, and their later scenes feel forced or weightless. The central love triangle should crackle; instead, it fizzles.
Dakota Johnson, for her part, struggles to carry the film. Whether due to the writing or miscasting, her performance lacks the emotional range needed to ground Lucy’s internal unraveling. There’s a version of Materialists that might’ve thrived with someone more naturally vibrant in the role—Jennifer Lawrence, Keira Knightley, or Margot Robbie could’ve brought the kind of layered levity and seriousness this role demands, while still keeping it fresh and giving it a bubblier, more lively tone. Johnson feels subdued, and while that restraint works in theory for a character so guarded, it keeps the film emotionally flat.
The film still has clear marks of Song’s craft: location shooting that makes NYC feel alive, a thoughtful score, and mature reflections on how money, appearance, and status impact dating in the modern age. There are even shades of Joachim Trier or Kogonada in how Song approaches emotional intimacy with formal precision. But Materialists lacks the rawness and emotional clarity that made Past Lives so profound. It’s a film about love that spends too much time intellectualizing connection rather than letting it unfold naturally on screen.
It’s not a bad movie, but it’s an uneven and often frustrating one—one that’s content to echo the emotional architecture of its predecessor without building something fully new or fully compelling. The best parts—Winters’ brief supporting performance, a few scenes between Johnson and Evans, some thoughtful thematic explorations—suggest Song still has a sharp eye for emotional storytelling. But the film itself, muddled in tone and sprawling in plot, never finds the stillness or simplicity that made her debut so quietly extraordinary.
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Materialists feels like a transitional work. It shows Celine Song experimenting with scale, ensemble dynamics, and new narrative textures—but it lacks the intimacy and precision that defined her first film. It’s a movie with moments that flirt with those same highs in small doses, but one that ultimately falls short. Still, it leaves me hopeful: the emotional territory Song wants to chart is rare in contemporary cinema, and while Materialists stumbles, it’s a sign that she’s aiming high. Her best films are likely still ahead.
Score: 5/10
Materialists (2025)
- Cast: Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal, Zoe Winters, Marin Ireland
- Director: Celine Song
- Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
- Runtime: 117 minutes
- Rated: R
- Release Date: June 13, 2025
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