Materialists
Celine Song's follow-up to Past Lives, another slow-burn romance about life choices
The brief
Celine Song follows up Past Lives with another quietly devastating meditation on romantic choices, this time trading wistful philosophy for sharper New York energy. Dakota Johnson brings unexpected depth to what could've been a standard rom-com role, while Pedro Pascal steals scenes as the messy ex who disrupts her carefully ordered world of professional matchmaking. The film moves at Song's signature deliberate pace, letting small moments breathe until they crack your chest open, though it occasionally gets too precious about its own insights into modern love. Perfect for anyone who thought Past Lives needed more Chris Evans, or who craves smart romantic dramedies that don't insult your intelligence.
The verdict
If you loved Past Lives and crave intelligent romantic dramedies that let emotions simmer beneath witty dialogue, this delivers Dakota Johnson's best performance alongside Song's signature ability to make quiet moments devastatingly powerful. If you need faster pacing or prefer your romance less cerebral and precious, the deliberate rhythm and self-aware insights into modern love will test your patience across two hours.
Watch with
- 👫 Perfect for date nights with emotional depth
- 👤 Solo viewing to savor nuanced performances
- ⚠️ Skip if you prefer fast-paced rom-coms
Heads up
- Emotional relationship discussions and breakups (moderate)
- Adult themes around dating and intimacy (brief)
Credits
- Director
- Celine Song
- Cast
- Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal, Zoë Winters, Marin Ireland, Dasha Nekrasova, Emmy Wheeler
Official synopsis
A young, ambitious New York City matchmaker finds herself torn between the perfect match and her imperfect ex.
The Double
Make a night of it
Pair this with Two Lovers (2008)
Both explore romantic indecision between safe choices and passionate desires.
Total runtime: 1h 56m + 1h 50m = 3h 46m
