Film Review - Materialists
Images courtesy of Sony Pictures.
Spoilers ahead, and a content warning for mention of sexual violence.
Celine Song’s deliciously cynical sophomore film, Materialists, follows the stylish life of matchmaker Lucy (Dakota Johnson) on her search for substance, and ultimately love. Cinematographer Shabier Kirchner’s (Skate Kitchen, Past Lives) style is nostalgic without becoming cloying, and Materialists’ visual references shine through. Fans of Sex and the City who wonder how Carrie could afford that Chanel newsprint dress on a writer’s salary will enjoy Lucy’s money-obsessed worldview. Song encapsulates the financial anxieties that dog the working class, even when they earn enough to blend in with the upper echelons of society.
Lucy’s job consumes her life, her personality and her outlook - the constant presence of her phone helps modernise the rapidly commercialising genre of romance. Even in the final scene of the film, she ignores her love interest in favour of a phone call where her boss offers her a promotion. Romance comes second to income, and Materialists consequently loses focus of its genre. A24 is known for its gritty horror and introspective coming of age films, but Materialists feels a little too self-conscious of its own facetiousness. It would be more accurate to call Materialists a psychological thriller about dating straight - Lucy’s ‘matchmaking’ skills center around her ability to classify people by weighing up their ‘assets’. Height, weight, looks and salaries act like shares to be traded in her network of single bachelors and bachelorettes. Her breakup with one character ends with a handshake, devoid of emotion, as respectful as a sealed business deal.
A24 dips its toes in the comforting romcom feels audiences have come to expect from the genre, but Materialists fails to fully realise its genre expectations, instead veering into darker territory. Lucy sends a woman on a date with a man who assaults her. Harry (Pedro Pascal) admits to undergoing a surgery to make himself taller. A flashback to a screaming fight reveals that Lucy initially broke up with John (Chris Evans) because she ‘hated him for being broke’. Song’s bleak observational comedy surrounding the ritualistic nature of marriage rings true, as does her parody of girlboss office culture. The thematic dives into violence, materialism and anti-capitalism are the best parts of the movie. Materialists hides a great drama and a cutting criticism of dating culture behind a cop-out genre, demoting the characters to bit players doing ‘girl shit’, as Lucy describes her work in the film. A24 flinches away from the romance that defines a romcom with Materialists - I look forward to when they commit to something more genuine.
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Materialists is screening in cinemas now. For tickets and more info, click here.