150 Word Review: 'The Materialists' (2025) + 'Final Destination Bloodlines' (2025) & More
Turns out, you can buy love
Director Celine Strong's sophomore feature is a thoughtful, if self-serious, romantic comedy without a single joke. The main characters in The Materialists are all superficial, but who isn’t these days? Each is obsessed with money and status. Life was easier for cavemen. Shorter, too.
They're also all gorgeous human beings. Even after a grueling catering gig, Chris Evans, playing a lovable working-class hero, looks like a golden god. Dakota Johnson is well-suited to play an ice-blooded New York City matchmaker who sees her desperate and superficial clients as data points on a spreadsheet. Marriage is a business. Unfortunately, the human heart wants more. Pedro Pascal stars as a "unicorn." Translation: rich. There's a love triangle, and multiple scenes where the meaning of love is discussed. Dating sucks. It is dehumanizing and cruel. Can’t it be a little funny? Song's sophisticated story begs for ugly beautiful losers instead of Hollywood superstars.
More From Celine Strong: ‘Past Lives’ (2023)
New 150 Word Review: ‘Final Destination Bloodlines’ (2025)
New 150 Word Review: ‘Charade’ (1963)
New 150 Word Review: ‘Total Recall’ (1990)
New 150 Word Review: ‘Citizen Kane’ (1941)
New 150 Word Review: ‘Burning’ (2018)
New 150 Word Review: ‘Wristcutters: A Love Story’ (2006)
New 150 Word Review: ‘Between Two Temples’ (2024)
