Materialists: Dare I Say, Romance Movies Might Be Back

This film centers around Lucy Mason (Dakota Johnson), a successful New York City matchmaker, who finds herself unexpectedly caught between two men: her imperfect ex-boyfriend John Finch (Chris Evans) and a new perfect suitor Harry Castillo (Pedro Pascal). As she must decide which man to be with, she is forced to consider how different her future will become based on her choices.

For a while, the romance genre had been overtaken by streaming giants who desired to make more obscene sums of money recreating the success of the past. This so-called "Romance Renaissance" was, in my opinion, completely failing because of such obvious, desperate attempts at achieving the rom-com realness that peaked in the early 2000's. Materialists was a pleasantly suprising shift away from this horror. The writing was great, being contemporary and aware without seeming too stilted or overly cautious. As I watched the scenes unfold, it simply felt real, which viewers always want to see.

I enjoyed how Lucy experienced an emotional evolution far beyond simply considering love interests. She undergoes events that shake her belief system, challenging her understandings of romance and expectations. I really liked watching a movie that went beyond superficiality and dug deeper into problems people face from the Goliath that is the modern world of dating. Discussing issues like safety and sexual assault, traditional gender roles, financial stability, and self-worth with consideration made the story feel more genuine. Life is messy and no one has a perfect, cookie-cutter love story.

The story had a great balance of optimism and realism, where the soul-crushing lows matched the soaring highs really well. Lucy was a perfect blend of contemporary cynicism that comes from protecting yourself and an unexpected idealism that urged her to find a happily-ever-after despite her disillusionment. Although her life is definitely glamorized, her character felt so human, with all the complexities and conflicts involved. But I'm not so sure that being stuck between Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal is much of a struggle.