Dakota Johnson stars as Lucy, a professional matchmaker in New York City. She pairs clients based on specific criteria like age, height, income, and political beliefs. To Lucy, love is a formula and romantic value is quantifiable.
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At a client’s wedding, Lucy meets Harry, played by Pedro Pascal. Harry is a high-value catch, a “unicorn” in matchmaking terms. Lucy wants to market Harry to her clients, but he is only interested in her.
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However, Lucy struggles to see beyond Harry’s lavish lifestyle. On the other side of Lucy’s love triangle is her ex-boyfriend John, played by Chris Evans. John is a hardworking artist, emotionally available but not wealthy.
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John represents a poor investment in Lucy’s eyes, despite his good heart. As Lucy grapples with her feelings, she discovers that her values may be more misaligned than she realized.
lucy’s transactional view of love
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The film takes a serious turn in the second half, but this darkness is foreshadowed in the first half’s refusal to indulge in romantic fantasy. Director Celine Song directs even the potentially heartwarming scenes with stark realism. This is a deliberate choice to critique the commodification of love rather than celebrate it.
Song, whose debut “Past Lives” was praised for its sensitivity, avoids any hypocrisy in “Materialists.” She doesn’t sell the fantasy of love but instead critiques those who do. Her second feature solidifies her as a thoughtful and compelling filmmaker of the 2020s. “Materialists” finds its way back to love, but not in a traditional sense.
It’s an intellectual examination of love, stripped of its conventional romantic markers. This film is not your typical date movie unless you and your date appreciate artful cinema and complex conversations. Nonetheless, “Materialists” is a highly recommended film.
It’s a great movie about romance, whether it’s technically romantic or not. “Materialists” will open exclusively in theaters on June 13.
