Materialists (2025) (Blu-ray Review)
DIRECTED BY: Celine Song
STARRING: Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal
RATED: R/Region: A/1:85/1080P/NUMBER OF DISCS 1
AVAILABLE FROM A24
If you’ve ever wondered what happens when a rom-com has a serious conversation with its bank account, Materialists is that weird cocktail—and it mostly tastes interesting, even if it burns your tongue now and then.
Dakota Johnson plays Lucy, a matchmaker who treats romance like a startup pitch: attractive résumé, strong benefit-to-risk ratio, and always double-checking the fine print. Chris Evans is her ex, John—charismatic, underemployed, emotionally available but financially suspect. Pedro Pascal plays Harry, the kind of wealthy guy every rom-com writer must include even if we all agree he’s already buying the comparison. The tension isn’t just in the love triangle—it’s in the spreadsheets, the wallets, the glances, and the eco-system of expectations we’d prefer to pretend don’t exist.
There’s a lot this movie gets right: Some scenes are sharp, formal enough to feel designer-made (which, given it’s A24, is expected), with visuals and wardrobe so sleek you’ll want to check your rent just to afford those clothes. Director Celine Song leans into the absurdity of modern dating—height requirements, net worths, Instagram-friendliness—all with enough wit and awareness that you cringe, laugh, and maybe nod knowingly.
Evans brings his “heart of gold, paycheck of not much” vibe with enough earnestness that you believe Lucy might be tempted. Pascal is his usual polished self: rich, concerned, maybe even kind of lonely beneath the penthouse façade. And Johnson? She’s got poise, even if at times she seems more like someone reading from a style guide (“how to look expensive while suffering internally”) than a fully human being. But to her credit, that cold edge almost feels intentional—as if Lucy’s defenses over finances are also defenses over heartbreak.
Where Materialists falters: sometimes the message gets shouted instead of whispered. The film is clever enough to notice that love is messy, but occasionally it rams the messy-part home with all the subtlety of a billboard. Also, for a story about emotional chemistry, there are moments where the sparks are more “sizzle in theory” than “ignite in practice.” The romance feels safer in scenes of dialogue than in the actual romance.
Still, those flaws don’t cancel out the film. Materialists stands out because it isn’t ashamed to ask, “What price are you willing to pay for love?” Its critique of how capitalism, status, and romantic fantasy have bloodied the concept of “deserving love” is overdue, and it handles that with enough grace that you leave the theater thinking of balance sheets and heartbreak in the same breath.
Verdict: It isn’t perfect, but Materialists is the kind of rom-com that gives you more than comfort—it gives you something to chew on. If you enjoy love stories that come with an existential side of anxiety, this one’s for you. It’s shiny, a bit harsh, kind of beautiful, and totally worth the emotional price you’ll pay to care.
Extras
- DOLBY ATMOS AUDIO TRACK
- 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
- Optional English SDH and Spanish subtiltes for the main feature
