---
title: "Materialists"
year: 2025
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/materialists"
fi1m_id: "materialists"
imdb_id: "tt30253473"
tmdb_id: 1136867
wikidata_id: "Q125726790"
fi1m_score: 63
critics_score: 66
critics_reviews: 22
published: "2026-09-09"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:37:50.379200+00:00"
region: "IL"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Materialists (2025)

Directed by Celine Song · 1h 56m · IFRB All · Romance, Drama

## Identity

Materialists

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/materialists
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** materialists
- **IMDb ID:** tt30253473
- **TMDB ID:** 1136867
- **Wikidata ID:** Q125726790
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30253473/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1136867, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q125726790

**Fi1m score: 63** · Critics 66 from 22 reviews

*In a sentence:* Pedro Pascal buys the drinks, Chris Evans has flatmates, and Dakota Johnson does the maths out loud

> Celine Song’s second film treats dating as a marketplace and says so, in dialogue sharper than most romances manage. It is clever, well cast and a little cold, and when it finally asks us to feel something, it has not done the groundwork.

## Synopsis

Lucy (Dakota Johnson) is a matchmaker in New York. Her firm pairs clients by height, salary, age and postcode, and she is good at it, though she is single herself. At a client’s wedding she meets Harry (Pedro Pascal), the groom’s brother, who is rich, unattached and interested. Working the same wedding as a waiter is John (Chris Evans), the actor she left years ago because neither of them could pay for anything. Lucy tells her clients that love is a numbers question. Over the following weeks, with Harry paying for dinner and John still sharing a flat, she has to decide whether she believes it. Celine Song writes and directs.

## Review

Celine Song’s first film, [*Past Lives*](https://film.one/film/past-lives) (2023), was about two people who could not be together and said almost nothing about it. Her second is about three people who could be together and talk about little else. Lucy (Dakota Johnson) is a New York matchmaker who sorts her clients by height, salary and age and says marriage is a deal like any other. At a wedding she meets Harry (Pedro Pascal), the groom’s brother, who has money, and finds John (Chris Evans), the actor she left years ago, handing round the drinks. *Materialists* wants to be a romantic comedy that tells the truth about money. For an hour it is, and that honesty is also why it never gets warm.

The matchmaking scenes are where Song is sharpest. Clients sit across from Lucy and list what they will and will not accept, and she writes it down without a flicker, then goes home to a flat she cannot afford. Johnson plays her flat and quick, a woman who has turned her voice into a sales tool and cannot switch it off at dinner. Pascal gives Harry the ease of a man who has never been refused anything and is curious to see what it feels like. Their first dinner, in which she tells him to his face what he is worth on the market and he takes it as a compliment, is the best scene in the film. We laughed, then winced, because Lucy was pricing herself too.

Shabier Kirchner shoots the city in soft, late-afternoon light and stays close on faces. Anthony Gasparro’s design does the film’s class argument for it: Harry’s flat is a grey box of glass and stone with nothing on the surfaces, and John’s is a shared one with a sink full of dishes. Katina Danabassis puts Lucy in careful neutral tailoring, the wardrobe of someone dressing for the life she wants rather than the one she can pay for. Daniel Pemberton’s score is quiet and mostly keeps out of the way. Keith Fraase lets conversations run in long takes and leaves the pauses in, which suits the talk when the talk is good.

The trouble is John, or rather what the film has decided John is for. Evans plays him gently and well, a decent man who is broke and knows what it costs him, but the script gives him little to do beyond being poor and being kind. Johnson and Evans together are pleasant, and no more than that; we did not believe these two had once torn each other apart over a restaurant bill. When the film asks us to weigh him against Harry, the writing has already tilted the scales, and not in the direction the film thinks.

Song also has a habit of having people say the theme. Lucy tells Harry what she is worth; Harry tells Lucy what he is worth; a client tells Lucy what everybody is worth. The first time it is bracing. By the fifth it is a lecture with better lighting. A subplot involving one of Lucy’s clients, Sophie (Zoë Winters), takes the film somewhere darker than the rest of it can carry. Winters is excellent, but her scenes sit in the film like a serious essay stapled to a comedy, and the comedy does not know how to pick up afterwards.

Here is what we felt. For an hour we leaned forward, amused and slightly stung, because Song is right about how people talk about each other now and has the nerve to write it down. Then, somewhere past the ninety-minute mark, the film asked us to be moved, and we found we were watching from a distance, admiring how tidily it had arranged its pieces. We wanted to be got at. We were not.

*Past Lives* trusted silence and a look across a bar to carry everything. *Materialists* trusts argument, which is what it does best, so when the romance arrives it feels like a concession. It runs 116 minutes and carries a 15. See it with someone you have disagreed with about money. You will have the disagreement again on the way home, and it will be livelier than the one on screen.

*Fi1m score 63, published 9 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics like Materialists, though not by much and not in agreement. The praise clusters on Celine Song’s writing, with reviewers repeatedly calling the dialogue witty and the dating-economy observations sharp, and on Dakota Johnson, whose lead performance is singled out across the positive reviews, some calling it her strongest work in years. Pascal and Evans are generally judged well cast.

The reservations cluster on the second half: several reviews find the resolution of the love triangle anticlimactic or pat, and a recurring complaint is that the characters read as ideas rather than people, leaving the film hedging between glossy romance and sober drama. The spread is wide. The June reviews run warmest; the British notices arriving in August are cooler on the whole. The Times is the sharpest dissenter, dismissing it as wearisome and miscast, and Sight and Sound and Vulture both find it bloodless, with thin characters and little chemistry between the leads.

## Straight answers

**Is Materialists worth watching?**

*Materialists* is worth watching for anyone who enjoys sharp talk about money and dating more than they need to be moved, and we scored it 63. Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans are well cast and the matchmaking scenes are the best thing in it. The romance arrives late and cold, and a darker subplot sits awkwardly in a comedy.

**How long is Materialists, and what is it rated?**

*Materialists* runs 1h 56m and is rated All by the IFRB in Israel. It is a romance and drama film.

**Where can I watch Materialists in Israel?**

*Materialists* is streaming on Netflix in Israel. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Materialists, and is it suitable for children?**

*Materialists* carries a UK 15 certificate and is a talky romantic drama, not a violent or frightening film. The 15 reflects adult language and adult subject matter, including a subplot involving one of Lucy's clients that turns darker than the rest of the film. It is not made for children and would bore most of them; older teenagers interested in the subject will be fine.

**How does Materialists compare to Past Lives?**

*Materialists* is louder and colder than [*Past Lives*](https://film.one/film/past-lives), and the earlier film is the better of the two. *Past Lives* trusts silence and a glance across a bar to carry its feeling; *Materialists* has its characters say the theme out loud, which is bracing at first and wearing by the end. Choose the first if you want to be moved, the second if you want an argument about money.

**What should I watch after Materialists?**

After *Materialists*, try [*Past Lives*](https://film.one/film/past-lives) (2023, Fi1m 85): Song’s first film, quieter and surer, about the person you did not choose. Then [*Broadcast News*](https://film.one/film/broadcast-news) (1987, Fi1m 84): A love triangle in which the clever woman knows exactly what everyone is worth; and [*The Apartment*](https://film.one/film/the-apartment) (1960, Fi1m 91): Money, loneliness and a New York flat, with more feeling in one shot than most romances.

### Reviews we read (27)

- **Variety**, Owen Gleiberman (85/100, inferred): The review describes the film as a lavishly charming New York story of love, money, and dating that plays the rom-com straight. It singles out Celine Song's witty dialogue and Dakota Johnson's forceful, sharp performance. [Read](https://variety.com/2025/film/reviews/materialists-review-dakota-johnson-chris-evans-pedro-pascal-1236422873/)
- **Empire**, John Nugent (80/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a razor-sharp yet hopeful look at the competitive marketplace of modern dating, with a romcom surface that conceals thoughtful substance. Song is praised for subverting expectations through witty dialogue and a primal, ancient view of love. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/materialists/)
- **Radio Times**, James Mottram (4/5): This is a sexy, smartly written New York story that examines modern dating’s callous, algorithmic nature through a satisfying romantic triangle. Johnson leads with aplomb while Pascal and Evans are expertly cast as fundamentally decent men. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-kbj56h/materialists/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Amy Nicholson (75/100, inferred): The critic calls it a smart and funny all-star love triangle with its own commitment issues. She singles out Dakota Johnson's performance as perfectly suited to the film's clear-eyed take on contemporary romance. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2025-06-12/materialists-review-dakota-johnson-chris-evans-pedro-pascal-celine-song)
- **The Telegraph** (75/100, inferred): The film thoughtfully examines whether money should matter in relationships and packs crisp insights about the dating economy, though sentiment is harder to find and it may not fully work as a romcom. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2025/08/14/materialists-review/)
- **Screen Daily** (70/100, inferred): Song’s follow-up uses a romantic triangle to explore the battle between head and heart with frankness, delivering a sharp look at modern love’s mix of fiscal security and soulmate pursuit. Narrative stumbles and pat resolutions in the second half prevent it from fully landing. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/materialists-review-dakota-johnson-pedro-pascal-and-chris-evans-form-celine-songs-love-triangle/5205801.article)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (70/100, inferred): The film is a charming and watchable romantic comedy-drama but feels anticlimactic in its resolution of the love triangle. It offers witty observations on materialism and dating but replaces them with subdued romanticism. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/aug/13/materialists-review-dakota-johnson-torn-between-pedro-pascal-and-chris-evans-in-charming-romcom)
- **The i Paper**, Christina Newland (70/100, inferred): The critic views the film as a compelling examination of the misery of modern dating, class, economics and algorithmic matching through a talky love triangle. Song’s ideas about risk versus box-ticking in relationships are singled out as accurate and engaging. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/materialists-review-shows-misery-modern-dating-3854222)
- **Little White Lies**, Laura Venning (4/3/3): Song’s sophomore feature is an earnest but underbaked romantic dramedy that prioritises the tussle between money and love over romcom conventions, with characters that feel like ideas rather than individuals. It still captures something affecting about the miracle of romance in a cynical world. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/materialists)
- **The New Yorker**, Justin Chang (60/100, inferred): The review finds the film a thoughtful romantic drama that explores love, money, and modern relationships but doesn't quite add up emotionally. It singles out the lead performance and direction for their intimacy while noting the story's failure to fully convince. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/06/16/materialists-movie-review)
- **Time Out**, Elizabeth Weitzman (3/5): The film is an equivocating romantic drama that tries to have it both ways as both glossy Hollywood product and solemn indie, resulting in paper-doll characters and a script that hedges its bets. It ultimately fails to commit to either fantasy or earthy emotion. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/materialists-review-2025)
- **Evening Standard**, Maddy Mussen (40/100, inferred): The critic sees the film as an intellectual and visually stunning exploration of why people marry that ultimately feels two-dimensional and devoid of romantic magic. The central performances and familiar head-versus-heart dilemma are noted as competent but understated to a fault. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/materialists-review-uk-release-date-dakota-johnson-pedro-pascal-b1241707.html)
- **Sight and Sound** (30/100, inferred): The critic finds Celine Song’s follow-up a rickety, bloodless rom-com that fails to land its screwball ambitions or dialogue, with a problematic subplot that undermines the whole. The unsettling final act offers a glimmer but ultimately settles for easy absolution. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/materialists-rickety-unsettling-rom-com)
- **Vulture** (30/100, inferred): The critic finds it an inert misreading of modern romance that fails to be either a frothy fantasy or a substantive treatise, with thin characters and a pivot to a conventional narrative after glancing at structural issues. Complains of no chemistry and a dishonest emphasis on love overcoming class and misogyny. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/review-materialistss-inert-misreading-of-modern-romance.html)
- **The Times**, Kevin Maher (10/100, inferred): The film is wearisome and the biggest disappointment of the decade, neutered by cockeyed casting, overwritten speeches and a trite premise that feels like a soulless reboot of classic romances. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/materialists-review-dakota-johnson-pedro-pascal-0qstdf73t)
- **Financial Times**, Danny Leigh (★★★☆☆): The seductive but flawed love-triangle movie struggles with chemistry between the leads and a jarring subplot, making stylish and intelligent company that settles for less than it could. [Read](https://www.ft.com/content/f83f9059-36b1-4572-a801-c5ed43561706)
- **IndieWire**, Kate Erbland: The critic describes it as an anti-rom-com and cynical takedown of the genre, a tale about what even love cannot do despite glossy trappings and stars. Notes it subverts expectations with a more realistic, less feel-good approach to romance and class. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/materialists-review-celine-song-rom-com-1235129632/)
- **Slant Magazine**, Derek Smith: The critic notes the film is self-aware and in conversation with the rom-com genre but does not reinvent it, with a script that works in fits and starts by often making subtext literal. Praises the lensing of contrasting lifestyles but finds the central dilemma and resolution somewhat disingenuous. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/materialists-review-dakota-johnson-chris-evans-pedro-pascal-celine-song/)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, David Rooney: The critic calls it a refreshingly complex look at modern love, self-worth and the challenges of finding a partner in an unaffordable city, treating the romantic triangle with equal integrity and compassion. Singles out the insightful writing matched by strong direction and Dakota Johnson's best work in years. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/materialists-review-dakota-johnson-chris-evans-pedro-pascal-1236257284/)
- **The New York Times**, Manohla Dargis (Critic's Pick): The critic praises the film as a seductive, smartly refreshed update on the romantic comedy genre. She singles out the chemistry and performances in the central love triangle for making the story engaging and delightful. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/12/movies/materialists-review-celine-song-dakota-johnson.html)
- **Collider**, Ross Bonaime (9/10): The critic calls it a modern romantic classic with depth and layers beyond typical genre fare, praising Song's balanced love triangle and the strong performances from Johnson, Pascal, and Evans. [Read](https://collider.com/materialists-review-pedro-pascal-dakota-johnson-chris-evans/)
- **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (90/100, inferred): The critic calls it the best movie about the search for love in many years, praising its defiance of easy categorization and Song's direction. They single out the perfect casting and performances of Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal for praise. [Read](https://deadline.com/2025/06/materialists-review-dakota-johnson-chris-evans-pedro-pascal-1236429953/)
- **/Film**, Bill Bria (9/10): The critic praises Song for infusing the traditional rom-com with genuine emotional depth and yearning rather than surface-level tropes. They single out the film's honest exploration of romantic value and the strong performances that reveal the characters' interior lives. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/1871812/materialists-review/)
- **Paste**, Tara Bennett (8.5/10): The critic highlights how the film unites romantics and cynics through its pragmatic take on modern love and dating, crediting Song's thoughtful character work and earned romantic payoff. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/materialists/materialists-review-dakota-johnson-chris-evans-pedro-pascal-celine-song-past-lives-a24)
- **NME**, James Mottram (4/5): The critic praises the film as a smart, sexy rom-com that offers a sharp, realistic look at modern matchmaking and superficial dating criteria. Dakota Johnson’s sophisticated lead performance is singled out for keeping viewers engaged despite the character’s flaws. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/materialists-review-pedro-pascal-chris-evans-dakota-johnson-3884141)
- **The Wrap** (80/100, inferred): The critic finds it exceptionally intelligent filmmaking that explores the commodification of modern romance rather than a standard rom-com, recommending it for its thoughtful approach. They praise Song for not selling the fantasy herself and solidifying her status as a thoughtful filmmaker. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/materialists-review-dakota-johnson-pedro-pascal-chris-evans-a24/)
- **The Playlist**, Rodrigo Perez (70/100, inferred): The critic finds Song's follow-up an insightful look at the transactional nature of modern dating and self-worth, with strong performances and aesthetic appeal. They note it is more breezy than her debut but ultimately less substantial and convincing overall. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/materialists-review-celine-song-crafts-a-soulful-drama-about-the-romantic-capital-of-being-valued-20250609/)

## Details

- **Director:** Celine Song
- **Director:** Celine Song
- **Writer:** Celine Song
- **Cinematography:** Shabier Kirchner
- **Editor:** Keith Fraase
- **Music:** Daniel Pemberton
- **Production design:** Anthony Gasparro
- **Costume design:** Katina Danabassis
- **Producer:** Pamela Koffler, David Hinojosa, Christine Vachon
- **Cast:** Dakota Johnson as Lucy; Chris Evans as John; Pedro Pascal as Harry; Zoë Winters as Sophie; Marin Ireland as Violet; Dasha Nekrasova as Daisy; Emmy Wheeler as Rose; Louisa Jacobson as Charlotte
- **Runtime:** 1h 56m
- **Certificate (IFRB):** All
- **Release (Israel):** 14 August 2025
- **Genres:** Romance, Drama
- **Budget:** $20 million
- **Box office:** $108 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gjeXsTsxqY

## Where to watch in Israel

- Netflix: streaming

*Checked 2026-09-10.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Past Lives* (2023), Fi1m 85: Song’s first film, quieter and surer, about the person you did not choose. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/past-lives.md)
- *Broadcast News* (1987), Fi1m 84: A love triangle in which the clever woman knows exactly what everyone is worth. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/broadcast-news.md)
- *The Apartment* (1960), Fi1m 91: Money, loneliness and a New York flat, with more feeling in one shot than most romances. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-apartment.md)
- *The Worst Person in the World* (2021), Fi1m 84: Oslo instead of Manhattan; a woman who cannot decide, and a film that forgives her. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-worst-person-in-the-world.md)
- *Metropolitan* (1990), Fi1m 82: Whit Stillman’s rich young New Yorkers talk class all night and mean it. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/metropolitan.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/materialists