When Materialists arrived, it came with marketing that suggested a slick, modern rom-com. What it delivered was something far more interesting. This was a romantic dramedy with bite, emotional messiness, and a lot on its mind. A pleasant surprise to say the least.
Directed by Celine Song, Materialists followed a young, ambitious New York City matchmaker torn between the perfect match on paper and the deeply imperfect pull of her ex. On the surface, the setup felt familiar. In practice, the film leaned much more heavily into drama than comedy, and once that tonal shift settled in, it revealed itself as a well constructed three hander anchored by Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, and Chris Evans. All three were magnetic, undeniably attractive, and convincingly entangled in the emotional contradictions of modern love.
Song’s filmmaking was confident and expressive. Sweeping camera movements blended with sudden, sometimes frenetic zooms, supported by clever editing that kept the film feeling alive and restless. Visually, Materialists was gorgeous. New York City functioned as more than a backdrop; it was a character in its own right, shaping desire, ambition, and insecurity. The city felt romantic but edged with cynicism, perfectly mirroring the transactional nature of dating in a world obsessed with optimization and status.
Tonally, the film was all over the place, and somehow that worked. It managed to be both cynical and sweet, exploring modern dating with a hopeful, thought-provoking perspective. At its core, Materialists suggested that love, messy and irrational as it may be, still mattered. There was real pleasure in its chaos. You might hate these people. You might hate the artifice of their world. Yet it was hard not to live for the vapid drama, emotional contradictions, and very human flaws on display.
A24’s Special Blu-ray Edition treated Song’s smart and sexy take on what true love is really worth with care and intention. The release featured a strong slate of bonus content, including a director commentary with Celine Song, an in-depth making-of featurette titled “The Math of Modern Dating: Making Materialists,” and a composer deep dive with Japanese Breakfast. Six collectible postcards showcasing behind-the-scenes photography by Atsushi Nishijima rounded out the package and made for a thoughtful physical addition.
The standard HD Blu-ray presentation delivered a 1080p high definition transfer in a 1.85:1 widescreen format, supported by Dolby Atmos audio, English SDH, and Spanish subtitles. Rated R and running 116 minutes, Materialists landed as a polished home video release that matched the confidence and ambition of the film itself.
In the end, Materialists was not the movie it was initially sold as, and that turned out to be its greatest strength. It embraced contradiction, leaned into emotional discomfort, and found beauty in romantic imbalance. Love, the film argued, is never clean, never perfectly matched, and never easily solved. And that may be exactly why it is worth chasing.
Jessie Hobson