The new romantic drama Materialists had a lot going for it on paper. It's written and directed by Celine Song, whose previous effor Past Lives was a critical hit and Oscar nominee, and happens to star three of the prettiest talents currently walking the earth in Chris Evans, Dakota Johnson, and the internet's daddy, Pedro Pascal.
It’s rare for a movie with such high expectations surrounding it to actually succeed at such a high level, but based on the first reactions to Materialists, it may have done just that. CinemaBlend’s own Riley Utley was among the first to see the new film, and she said…
MATERIALISTS is more than a rom-com. It's a thoughtful and candid tale about love and life. Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans juxtapose each other stunningly. Dakota Johnson leads flawlessly. And what Celine Song created is a brutally realistic and beautiful examination of love.
Materialists stars Dakota Johnson as a professional matchmaker who is good at finding love for others but not herself. She finds herself pursued by an extremely wealthy Pedro Pascal, as well as an old flame played by Chris Evans. According to The Mary Sue’s Rachel Leishman, all three are in top form in the film. She posted…
MATERIALISTS will make you want to fall in love and embrace all your imperfect qualities. It's a movie about love but also finding love for yourself. Both Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal have beautifully poignant moments and Dakota Johnson is a perfect imperfect protagonist.
The comment about Johnson’s “imperfect” protagonist is an idea that several other critics also reference in their social media reactions. While Materialists looks like a standard rom-com, it seems that none of the three main characters in Materialists is perfect, but then nobody is. That’s ultimately what the movie is about, or isn't. No, wait, is.
As Next Best Picture’s Matt Neglia put it…
Celine Song’s ability to distill the most intricate concepts of the human heart into something achingly simple, yet profoundly resonant, was evident in “Past Lives,” and MATERIALISTS is yet another example of that talent. It’s genuinely refreshing to see characters in this genre actually trying to communicate & work through their problems, rather than shutting down & avoiding conflict. The result is something more honest, mature, and emotionally rewarding.
Looking for anybody saying anything bad about the upcoming A24 film is honestly difficult. The closest I could get was the reaction from critic Scott Menzel, whose only negative criticism was a single joke that didn’t work. The rest is just as glowing as everybody else…
I really loved The Materialists minus one joke. The film works so well because of how genuine the whole thing feels even with many traditional rom-com tropes. Needless to say, the chemistry between the actors is off the charts and I’m happy to report that this is probably the best performance I’ve ever seen from Dakota Johnson. I truly have fallen in love with the way that Celine Song brings her characters to life and isn’t afraid to highlight their good and bad qualities.
Materialists hits theaters on Friday, June 13.. If these reviews hold up Celine Song could find herself as one of the more in demand writers and directors in Hollywood with two hits in as many movies.
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