Celine Song wrote and directed 2023’s Past Lives – it’s arguably one of the best depictions of modern relationships, and a film that explores themes of deep connection, love, and destiny.

Her latest film, Materialists, follows similar themes about love, what connection means, and what truly makes us happy. The film follows Lucy (Dakota Johnson) who is a successful matchmaker in New York City. When she attends a wedding for one of her successful matches, she meets the groom’s brother Harry (Pedro Pascal). As Lucy and Harry are flirting/getting to know each other at the reception, Lucy’s ex-boyfriend John (Chris Evans) is catering the wedding.

While Lucy and Harry spend more time dating, there’s an incident with one of Lucy’s clients that leaves her reconsidering her line of work. One top of that, she find herself caught between a charming wealthy man and a man who could possibly be love of her life.

Materialists is a movie that’s hard to describe. I’ve heard it described as a straightforward romantic comedy, a thoughtful romantic comedy, and a captivating drama. It’s best described as a mature romantic comedy. The film hits some of the cliché romantic comedy notes without the exaggerated emotional beats that are at the core of most romantic comedies.

The drama and issues highlighted in the film feel real. Lucy, Harry, and John have conversations like adults and the situations and solutions are messy just like they are in real life. One of the best things about the story is there are no villains. There is no “bad person” or a character that’s villain – some things just are what they are.

Dakota Johnson does her best with what she’s given to play Lucy. The glaring issue is how Lucy feels like a character and not a person. Maybe it’s the how unconventional the film is that shapes how the character comes across. Lucy’s interactions with people, her conversations, and even her approach to dating Harry feels like a performance. Pedro Pascal’s performance as Harry feels similar, but that works for his character’s role in the love triangle. Chris Evans as John and Zoe Winters as Lucy’s client Sophie are the only two people in the film that feel real.

It’s not that their performances are bad, it’s because Celine Song strips away all the shiny superficial things that are foundational in romantic comedies. For some reason she decided to keep these plastic characters in a story filled with situations and conversations that feel very real.

There are ways to go about making a story about love – Celine Song has found a way to tell these stories in a way that few writers and directors can. Like a relationship, there are pieces of the film that aren’t perfect. There are also moments in the film that remind us why we love, how we love, and discovering who we love can be life changing. Like a relationship this film is messy, beautiful, fascinating, and engaging. I hope Celine Song keeps making films that encourage audiences think about love and relationships in an honest way.

Grade: B+