‘Materialists’ review: Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal romcom is more than meets the eye

The ambition of Celine Song’s “Materialists” — her romantic comedy-drama starring Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal — is apparent from the first frame. Shot on 35mm film, the movie opens with a towering wide shot not of modern-day New York City, but a verdant forest, where we watch two cave people fall in love.

Song’s film is pitched as both a modern examination of romance and a grand thesis on the elemental nature of companionship. And though “Materialists” occasionally stumbles in pursuit of its lofty objectives, the film does succeed in elucidating some unpleasant truths about dating in a capitalist society defined by the widening gulf between the haves and have-nots.

Lucy (Johnson) works as a matchmaker for Adore, an NYC film that caters to high-end clients with discerning tastes. As she listens to an ugly parade of must-haves and dealbreakers related to age, race, and body type, Lucy calmly placates her spoiled singletons with platitudes about dating being a numbers game. 

Johnson, whose detached, head-in-the-clouds line delivery proved disastrous in films like “Madame Web,” is perfectly cast here. When she tells a distressed client (Zoë Winters) “You’re going to marry the love of your life,” you know she means it.

At first, Lucy appears to be drinking her own Kool-Aid. While attending the wedding of one of her successful matchmaking efforts, she meets the groom’s brother, Harry (Pedro Pascal). He’s a unicorn – good looks, personality, a job in finance, and a $12 million penthouse. 

As Lucy explains on their first date, there’s no reason Harry should date her when he could land someone much younger, more attractive, and who makes more than the modest $80k she pulls in as a contemporary Cupid. The math doesn’t work.

Dakota Johnson and Chris Evans in “Materialists.”

The numbers also don’t add up with the other man in Lucy’s orbit, John (Chris Evans), a struggling actor working as a waiter at the wedding. As we learn in a heartbreaking flashback, he and Lucy ended a five-year relationship over the pair’s financial struggles. But from the moment he places her favorite drink pairing (a Coke and a beer) on the table, their connection is undeniable. 

After telling a lightly fictionalized version of her life in “Past Lives,” Song brings many of her signature touches to this script as well. The director once worked as a matchmaker, and this is the third movie she and husband Justin Kuritzkes (“Challengers”) have made about love triangles.

Song is also a playwright by trade, and much of the dialogue in “Materialists” feels ripped from the pages of an unproduced play. (Song winkingly acknowledges this in a scene where Evans’ character stars in Song’s real-life stage production, “Tom & Eliza.”) At its best, the script has the profundity and humor of a Nora Ephron film. But there are stretches where the dialogue feels stilted and unending.

The worst of it comes in scenes featuring Johnson and Pascal. The pair share zero chemistry, and instead fill their time together with witty repartee about weighing “intangible value” versus the quantifiable value of a high net worth, a tight body, and a stable upbringing. The pair’s empty courtship is by design – a commentary on pursuing financial stability over “true love” – but that doesn’t make it any more fun to watch.

Dakota Johnson in “Materialists.”

Evans, a self-professed romcom fan, fares better. Though he doesn’t quite sell the most emotionally impactful moments of the film, his golden retriever charm is expertly deployed. It’s safe to say that he’s back to pursuing interesting roles again after years of phoning it in post-MCU.

But this is Johnson’s movie, and her journey to relationship enlightenment. When a mid-film twist jolts Lucy out of a dreamlike state, she’s forced to take stock of her job and herself. Like a modern-day Jane Austen heroine (Emma, in particular), Lucy must come to terms with the consequences of inserting herself into people’s relationships and prioritizing their wellbeing over her own needs. 

“Materialists” feels like a tug of war between Song’s competing impulses to expose the absurdity of the romcom (and the dating mores it helped enshrine) while embracing the genre’s endlessly optimistic framework. The end result is a brainy but uneven film that swings for the fences but settles for a stand-up double.

Rating: **1/2 (out of 4)

“Materialists” is in theaters now.

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