Celine Song’s Past Lives Follow-Up Completely Wowed with Its Unique Perspective on Beloved Romance Tropes – ryan

Although Romantic COMEDIES WERE ONCE Pervasive in Hollywood, They Fallen by the Wayside in favor of Big Franchise Blockbusters and Prestige Drama, which seamedly delve into all aspects of humanity except romance. Howver, Past live Writer and Director Celine Song is giving the romance the dissection it desertves, all while delivering Compelling Movies that will Leave your Heart Aching in a Good Way. In Her Latest Film, MaterialistsSong Tackles the age-Old Question of Whether a Woman Should Marry for Material Gain or Love-Thought the Ending May Be Expective, Its Still a Fresh Perspective.

Materialists Follows Matchmaker Lucy (Perfection‘s Dakota Johnson), whose clinical – some mighty Say Cynical – view of Dating and Marriage is at Odds with her almost naive beliefs about love. She talks about dating as a marketplace, where Hopeful Men and Women Need to Have Valuable, Worthwhile Asssets to Be SuccessFul. She Can Analyze Any Man or Woman’s Value Based on Their Age, Appeaance, Education, Family Upbringing, and Other Basic Facts to Match. But when she’s a confront with the Question of love, she has a Simpler Answer: It’a, Because We don’t have control over who we love.

These Difference Views are represeted in the two Male Leads of Materialists. Harry (Pedro Pascal, The Last of US) Checks every box. He’s Rich, Charming, and doesn’t have any Illicit habits, what Makes Him A “Unicorn.” He’s the ideal match for any Woman, Including Lucy. THERE’S JOHN (Chris Evans, Kniva Out), Lucy’s Ex-Boyfriend. She Broke Up With Him Becouse and and They Constantly Fought About Money. IT SEEMS CLEAR WHO LUCY IS GOING TO CHOOSE, UNIL SIGHING TRAUMATIC HAPPENS TO ONE OF LUCY’S CLIENTS AND HER BELIEF IN THE SYSTEM BREAKS DOWN, FORCING HER WANTS.

Materialists is a Fresh perspective on the romance genre

Celine Song Has a Refreshingly Modern View of Love & Dating

Materialists Play with MANY of the romance genre’s conventions: the love triange, the happy ever after, the love vs the Money dilemma, the cynic vs the optimist, and the second chance. The Beauty of the Romance Genre is that there are those infinite ways to play with the tropes and conventions, and each storyteller brings a unique perspective. That’s Exactly What Song Does With Materialists; while the tropes may be known, her approach is innovative.

What Makes Song’s Perspective So Unique is Her Ability to Balance Wish Fulfillment with Reality. There’s Always a Certain aspect of fantasy in romance stories; What are the Odds of Lucy Meeting a “Unicorn” at the Same Wedding Where She Runs Into Her Form LOVE? butt Materialists KEEPS ITS Story Grounded in the pragmatic realities of life, and especialy in lucy’s evolving views of Dating, Mariage, Love, and What She Wants for Her Future. Where Materialists Might Lose someone is the ending, but i is help but finds it satisfying.

If you’re like me, you probably know how Materialists is going to end before seeing the Movie. There’s Typically Only One Winner in the Love Versus Money Trope, so the Challenge is really in Earning that conventional ending. Materialists Has Quite the Battle, Making Harry the Epitome of What Modern Women Want (and it is especally casting to have Pascal in the Role, Gioven HIS AS Internet’s Dream Man), but song Manages to Earn Lucy’s AFTER AFTER IN A WAY I WASN’T EXPECTING. The mark of any good romance story is how it gets to that point, and song Nails it.

The talentd Cast Elevates Materialists

Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans & Pedro Pascal All Shine

neither Materialists‘Main Character, Dakota Johnson is at Her Most Compelling As Lucy, Slipping Seamlessly ino The Role of the Cold, Judgmental, and Flawed Matchmaker with a Heart of Gold. I do think i’ve ever seen johnson as perfect for a roles as this. There’s a depth to lucy, who keps mos of her emotions close to the vest. Johnson Manages to Capture these emotions, Making the Journey of the Character Feel as Realistic As Possible.

Johnson’s Performance Also Works to Balance Out the Leading Men, Who Both Wear Hearts on Their Sleeves. Pedro Pascal is endlessly charming as harry, embodying the perfect “unicorn” his character is meant to be, but showing glimps of depts will still be more audiences. Harry Matches Lucy’s Cynical View of Dating and Mariage, and Pascal’s Delivery Somehow Makes Him More Lovable.

THERE’S CHRIS EVANS AS JOHN, WHO’S MEANT TO BE A LITTLE PATHETIC, But Still Charming in a Less Polished Way. Evans has done romance before – though it’s been a while – and in Materialistshe demonstrates all over again he’s exceptal in these kinds of vulnerable, intimate roles. Song’s Script Really Allows Evans to Shine, Giving Him Some of the Most Heart-Wrenching Scenes in the Movie, and the Actor Excels Beyond All Expectations.

All three stars are absolutely flawless, and if I have had any Complaint, it’s that i wand say to interact more. Butn, that is a compliment, as song crafted three characters so well-developed and compiling, i wanted to see so Much more of them. I COULD’VE WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR SEVERAL MORE HOURS IF IT MEANT GOT TO SPEND MORE TIME LUCY, HARRY, AND John.

Materialists is for Those Who Love to Year About Love

IT’s a romance movie for anyone who loves romance Movies

Materialists is More of a conventional romance Story than Past liveand i can happy reCommend it for anyone who enjys the genre, though with the warning that the movie does deal, somewhat tangentily, with themes of sexual assault as a reality in modern dating. It was Handled RespectFully, but I Also Undersand some Viewers Might Find it Triggery. In this way, Materialists Remains Honest in Its Depiction of the Realities of Modern Love and Romance Because they do come with a not-so-so-risk, especilly for Women and Other vulnerable folks.

Materialists is, at its Heart, a Movie About Love. It is a beautiful escape that left with yearning for more – Both from the Movie and from life in General. Song has a participle Knack for Telling Stories that break down the walls around our hearts and leaves US Aching in the best way Possible. With Such a Talent Cast, IT’S No Wonder Materialists Has Quickly Become One of My Favorite Movies in Recent Years.

Materialists

9/10

Release Date

June 25, 2025

Directory

Celine song

Wriers

Celine song

Producers

Christine Vachon, Pamela Koffler

Pros & Cons

• A FRESH Spin on Romance Movie Convections.
• Excellent performances from the talentd cast.
• Great Script and Direction from Celine Song.

• Some Characters and Stories Could’ve Used More Development.