If you’re longing for a rom-com date night with the girls that isn’t a movie you’ve already seen many times before, Materialists is a must-watch.
Directed by Celine Song two years after her hit movie Past Lives, Materialists is set in New York where Dakota Johnson works as a matchmaker, which was inspired by Song’s own six-month long experience as a matchmaker.
Johnson is torn between her imperfect ex John, who she misses but could never make the relationship work, and the seemingly perfect, rich brother of the groom Mark, who she met at one of her client’s weddings.
John, played by Chris Evans, is the culmination of every girl’s ex-boyfriend they wanted to end up with, but ultimately couldn’t because he was just too immature in his 20s.
He’s an aspiring actor living with two messy roommates in an apartment and works part time as a waiter in an attempt to make ends meet.
Mark, played by every woman’s favourite movie star of 2025, Pedro Pascal is the complete opposite.
He’s charming, rich, owns his own huge apartment and wears a full suit complete with a tie to his finance job.
Materialists was raw and relatable, with perfectly timed moments of comedic wit.
It balanced scenes full of emotion and realism, with modern day, tongue-in-cheek jokes.
It had 48-year-old men needing women more mature that 21, but of course no older than 28, and posed the modern, relatable dating struggle of five foot nine men telling you they’re five foot 11.
As Johnson said, “what’s a couple of inches” when he’s the perfect match?
Materialists had Johnson’s clients reducing men to their height and wallets, and women to their body and looks.
It even had a sneaky reference to men getting a $200,000 height surgery to gain up to six inches taller, which required breaking the legs.
After all, beauty is an investment.
Whether you’re team Evans or team Pascal (or even team Johnson), Materialists is a movie that has chemistry radiating off the big screen, leaving you thinking about how couples for all of eternity have managed to find their soulmates.
A great cinema outing for couples, best friends, or mums and their daughters.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Rated: M – mature themes, coarse language and sexual references
Run time: 117 minutes
Distributor: Sony Pictures
In cinemas: June 12
