As someone who once lived in The Big Apple, I know a thing or two about dating within its whimsical-yet-chaotic parameters. From trying to have smooches on the subway to debating your dinner on the busy sidewalks of St. Mark’s, it isn’t exactly the most peaceful place to start a relationship. Yet many of the greatest romances of all time have tackled exploring this wild dating scene. From TV portrayals like in Sex and the City (1998 – 2004) to cinematic ventures like When Harry Met Sally… (1989), these pieces of media have all offered an interesting perspective on finding love in the city that never sleeps.
Dakota Johnson as Lucy in MATERIALISTS. Photo Credit: Atsushi Nishijima. Photo courtesy of A24.
The latest entry into this sub-sub genre is Celine Song’s Materialists starring Dakota Johnson (The Peanut Butter Falcon), Pedro Pascal (Freaky Tales), and Chris Evans (Snowpiercer). Within the film, Song dissects the highs and lows in finding “the one” amidst the ever-changing landscape of Manhattan in 2025. But does her new film contain the same ingredients that make other New York-focused love stories so iconic? Or does her economically focused mindset make Materialists more than just another sleepover movie? Now with the film’s home video release, thanks to A24, we can collectively answer these tough questions and more.
MATERIALISTS digipak interior. Photo courtesy of A24.
In Song’s sophomore feature, we follow a successful matchmaker named Lucy Mason (Johnson) who is known for setting up the most high-profile clients together for both marital and financial bliss. But when attending one of her success stories’ weddings, she meets a handsome bachelor, Harry Castillo (Pascal) who just so happens to be the brother of the groom. He’s everything a girl could want — charming, funny, rich — but also happens to be instantly smitten with Lucy. Yet everything goes in an interesting direction when, at the same party, Lucy also bumps into her equally handsome ex, John Pitts (Evans). He also has it all — the good looks, the rugged charm — but, unlike Harry, he’s less than financially successful. The rest of the film follows Lucy as she questions her future, both romantically and emotionally, leading her to discover what truly makes “a good match”.
L-R: Dakota Johnson as Lucy and Pedro Pascal as Harry in MATERIALISTS. Photo Credit: Atsushi Nishijima. Photo courtesy of A24.
As you might be able to tell from the lengthy description, Materialists isn’t exactly the easiest film to summarize in one sentence. Yes, the A plot is a tale as old as Hollywood’s time, but Lucy’s other emotional discoveries throughout the movie are far from the candy-coated vibes of “chick flicks” of the past. For, much like how women really are, it’s a multilayered and complex journey into the psychology of dating. And while it contains some of the fluffy elements that viewers might be craving for, much like Song’s Past Lives (2023), it’s a slice of cinema that doesn’t hold your hand. This is a story filled with tough lessons or hard narrative pills that not everyone will want to artistically swallow.
MATERIALISTS digipak exterior. Photo courtesy of A24.
The first of these comes in the form of our leading lady who, unlike other romantic genre protagonists, isn’t exactly on a conventional search for love. As the opening narration and montage suggests, Lucy is a character who thinks of marriage as simply a business transaction. Much like in the times of old, it’s about bringing two fortunes together and perhaps love will blossom along the way. It’s a view that comes off pessimistic in comparison to the You Got Mails (1998) and 13 Going on 30s (2004) of cinema’s past, yet if you’ve ever lived in any major city, it’s a reality you must seriously consider.
Dakota Johnson as Lucy in MATERIALISTS. Photo Credit: Atsushi Nishijima. Photo courtesy of A24.
This mindset of Lucy’s is what makes her romantic adventures feel so polarizing as a fan of this genre. Yes, we all understand the economic significance of relationships and bringing fortunes together for a successful life, but, like any viewer in this current climate, I want an escape that honors Lucy’s ambitions while also feeling fantastically romantic. As our leading lady’s story progresses, it almost feels like both her (and Song) lose that momentum towards Lucy’s dream scenario of a happy ending. For rather than continuing down a narrative road that focuses on the modern ideals the film initially relishes in, it’s as if Song couldn’t fully commit to her own character’s views on love.
Another example of this almost leftfield turn relates to Lucy’s most troublesome client, Sophie (Succession’s Zoë Winters.) From the moment we are introduced to her, Sophie is the total package — she’s beautiful, successful, and everything we think of as “a catch”. But from the view of Lucy’s male clients, Sophie is far from the non-existent fantasy they’re looking to hitch with. And Song isn’t afraid to zone in on Sophie’s bubbling insecurities in an almost Hitchcock-like fashion, making those of us who are far from the ideal “10” relate to her on a deeply painful level.
L-R: Writer/director Celine Song and actors Dakota Johnson and Chris Evans on the set of MATERIALISTS. Photo Credit: Atsushi Nishijima. Photo courtesy of A24.
From then on, Song doesn’t shy away from the things that happen to women like Sophie in and out of New York because life is far from the Hollywood fairy tale for those that fit within her description. She goes so far to uncover these uncomfortable truths that Materialists often feels like its cinematic tone is the definition of “bipolar”. One scene will be fueled by the romantic sugary goodness we’ve come to expect in films of this nature while the next will come across like a pulpy drama. Sure, most will argue that such a tonal shift is what real life feels like, yet there’s a degree to which it seems that Song doesn’t have quite the confidence to make such a change feel organic.
This isn’t to say that Song is a bad director by any means; in fact, she’s one of the greatest cinematic voices (especially in the female space) we’ve had in some time. She’s a filmmaker who wears her vulnerability on her sleeve and isn’t afraid to show the realities of finding romance in the wild wild west that is 2025. But it’s just frustrating to watch a movie that seems like it’s going in such a clever, believable direction, turn into something that feels Lifetime-channel levels of unbelievable without warning. And while certain twists and turns come at a more gradual pace as the film progresses, its biggest dramatic beat feels the wrong kind of unexpected.
L-R: Dakota Johnson as Lucy and Chris Evans as John in MATERIALISTS. Photo Credit: Atsushi Nishijima. Photo courtesy of A24.
Thankfully, Materialists has a great ensemble to balance some of these bizarre choices. From Chris Evan’s flawed, down-to-Earth warmth to Pedro Pascal’s GQ-meets-fairy tale perfection, both of the film’s leading men have “the sauce” when it comes to providing the perfect charisma for such a fantasy. Even Dakota Johnson, who herself is a polarizing talent, uses her unique acting approach to great effect here. Her dry, calculated delivery works for Lucy’s own choreographed mannerisms and, much like she was in the Fifty Shades franchise, she does a great job of balancing the wilder moments Song throws at her with grace. But the real magic is when all three of them are together as you can tell they equally balance their acting energies in the way the great trios of Hollywood’s rom-com past once did.
MATERIALISTS digipak back cover. Photo courtesy of A24.
There’s also no denying that the film contains some of the best elements that make romantic New York tales so magical in the first place. From the beautiful cinematography by Shabier Kirchner (Past Lives; Small Axe) that captures the city at its most enchanting to the delicate score by Daniel Pemberton (The Bad Guys series; Spider-Verse series), it’s clear that everyone involved is an admirer of New York media and knows the right way to evoke its Hollywood-version charms. Simply put, it’s hard not to fall under the spell that Song and company are casting here.
L-R: Dakota Johnson as Lucy and Pedro Pascal as Harry in MATERIALISTS. Photo Credit: Atsushi Nishijima. Photo courtesy of A24.
As for this new Blu-Ray, you can similarly tell that A24 put a lot of love into this release. Beginning from the moment you open the box, you’ll find beautiful photocards with stunning on-set photography and additional bits of lore to add to the Materialists experience, all taken by photographer Atushi Nishijima. There’s also a feature length commentary by Celine Song, a behind-the-scenes featurette, and a video featuring musician Japanese Breakfast discussing her original songs for the film, all of which add more insight into the entire Materialists experience. The picture quality is the typical crisp standard for A24, while the Dolby Atmos mix doesn’t over power the home watching experience. Simply put, A24 rarely disappoints with their home video releases and this is no exception.
MATERIALISTS collectible cards. Photo courtesy of A24.
Yet, even with such a lush home video release, Materialists isn’t going to be for everyone. It’s a romance that doesn’t want to cuddle you with the notions of lovey-dovey fluff from rom-coms past, but rather stop to have you think about the choices you make to get to that sugary sweetness along the way. And though its ending will leave you wanting to debate with your friends if Lucy made the right choice, maybe that’s what Song intended all along. Because maybe we need to be talking more about how we make our complicated fairy tales come true rather than wishing on stars.
Materialists Special Features:
- Director Commentary with Celine Song
- “The Math of Modern Dating: Making Materialists” featurette
- Composer Deep Dive with Japanese Breakfast
- Six Collectible Postcards with Behind the Scenes Photography
Available on VOD and digital July 22nd, 2025.
Available on Blu-ray September 9th, 2025.
For more information, head to the official A24 Materialists webpage.
To purchase, head to the official A24 Shop Materialists webpage.
Final Score: 3 out of 5.
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Categories: Home Video, Reviews, streaming
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