Okay, let me just say this upfront Materialists made me feel incredibly grateful for my 20+ year marriage. Director Celine Song has created something that's equal parts fascinating and heartbreaking. It’s a brutally honest look at what it's like to find love in today's world of dating apps and algorithms.

What's It About?

The story follows Lucy (Dakota Johnson), a matchmaker in New York who helps wealthy clients find their "perfect" matches. When she meets Harry (Pedro Pascal) basically every woman's dream guy on paper. He’s tall, handsome, rich, successful and she thinks she's found her own golden ticket. But then her broke ex-boyfriend John (Chris Evans) shows up as a caterer at the same wedding, and suddenly Lucy's carefully planned world gets messy.

Here's the thing though, this isn't really about choosing between two guys. It's about how we've turned dating into this weird business transaction where people become lists of pros and cons instead of, you know, actual human beings

Dakota Johnson and Chris Evans in the Materialists

The Performances Hit Different

Dakota Johnson is absolutely incredible here. She plays Lucy as someone who's built these walls around herself because dating has become so brutal and transactional. You can see her putting on different masks for different people, and Johnson makes it feel so real and heartbreaking.

Chris Evans completely disappears into John, a struggling actor who's broke but still chasing his dreams at 37. He's got roommates and lives like he's still in college, but there's something about him that just draws Lucy in, even though he makes zero sense on paper.

And Pedro Pascal? He could have easily played Harry as this superficial rich guy we're supposed to hate, but instead he makes him genuinely lovable. Harry's trying so hard to be perfect, and Pascal shows us how exhausting and vulnerable that actually is.

Dakota Johnson and Pedro Pascal in the Materialists

Why This Movie Matters

Director Celine Song actually worked as a matchmaker in NYC for six months, and wow, does it show. She heard clients literally listing requirements for their future spouse like they were shopping for a car looking for six figures, six feet tall, all these checkboxes that have nothing to do with actual love.

The movie doesn't judge anyone for getting caught up in this system, but it does make you think about how messed up it all is. We're treating people like investments and wondering why we feel so empty and disconnected.

Real Talk: This Movie Made Me Feel Things

As someone who's been happily married for over 20 years, watching this was like looking into an alternate universe. I kept thinking, "How do people even survive dating today?" The whole thing made me want to hug my spouse and never let go.

But the cool thing about this movie is that it never gives up on love itself. Even while showing how terrible the dating scene has become, it still believes that real connection is possible. It's just gotten so much harder to find.

Materialists BTS pic with Celine Song, Dakota Johnson, and Chris Evans

Who Should Watch This?

If you're single and dating in a big city, you need to see this. You'll feel so seen and understood. Like finally, someone gets how exhausting and dehumanizing it all is.

If you're thinking about moving to New York to find love, consider this required viewing. It's not meant to scare you off, but it'll definitely prepare you for what you're walking into.

If you're in a relationship, it'll make you appreciate what you have while giving you serious empathy for your single friends.

And honestly? If you're frustrated with modern dating and need to feel less alone in that frustration, this movie might be exactly the therapy you need.

The Bottom Line

Materialists doesn't pretend to have all the answers, and that's what makes it so powerful. It just shows us where we are right now with dating and relationships, and it's not always pretty. But it's real, and sometimes that's exactly what we need.

The movie asks tough questions, What happens when we treat people like commodities? How do we find genuine connection in a world that's turned love into a marketplace? And maybe most importantly, is it possible to hold onto hope for real love when everything around us suggests we should just optimize ourselves for the best possible match?

I walked away feeling incredibly lucky to have found my person before all this algorithmic madness took over, but also deeply moved by everyone still out there trying to make it work. Love shouldn't be this hard, but apparently it is now, and Materialists helps us understand why, and maybe, just maybe, how we might do better.