Dakota Johnson's $50K Matchmaker Is Torn Between Mr. Rich and Mr. Right in ‘Materialist'
In Materialist, Lucy (Dakota Johnson) is an elite (as in she charges $50,000) matchmaker in Manhattan. She's great at finding partners for her demanding clients — there's the guy who doesn't want anyone with a BMI over 20 and the middle-aged man who will only consider women in their 20s.
But Lucy's own love life is a mess — she's torn between a millionaire charmer (Pedro Pascal) and her hundred-aire ex, cater waiter John (Chris Evans). Classic rom-coms like this rarely make it to the big screen these days, so make a date for this one.
| In theaters Friday, June 13 R
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5 hours ago
- Yahoo
'Materialists' Review: Dakota Johnson's New Romance Is An Instant Classic
When I tweeted that Materialists was for 'romantics, realists, and yearners,' I didn't expect the tweet to go viral — or for it to become a central quote in the movie's marketing. But it's true. After years of craving a smart, heartfelt, and old fashioned rom-com, director Celine Song I'm convinced this is one of the best movies of the decade. Materialists, which opens in theaters June 13, follows matchmaker Lucy (Dakota Johnson), who knows exactly what she wants and how to give everyone else what they want. She's constantly doing the math of age, weight, and salary to find her clients their perfect match; someone who can be, not just a second date, but a grave buddy. (I loved this term, I couldn't help but include it). At the beginning of the film, Lucy's life feels both accessible and unattainable. It's the kind of New York caricature that characterizes our favorite rom-coms, but this time we're in on the joke. (Because let's face it, sometimes modern dating very much feels like a joke.) There's a romanticized quality that paints love and life in the city in a rose-colored hue. Lucy is driven and straightforward, and very good at her job. But despite the fact she's a dating expert, she's not actually that romantic. Matchmaking turns the art and poetry of love into math, and Lucy's the master calculator. So when she meets 'unicorn' Harry (Pedro Pascal) at a wedding, she doesn't expect to be swept off her feet…or to run into her ex John (Chris Evans), a broke waiter — and the only person who knows Lucy well enough to comfort her in distress or bring her the perfect drink order (let the record show I'm only telling you he's broke because that's why Lucy called it off in the first place.) Right up front, Materialists lets us know Harry and John are complete opposites in every way that matters to Lucy's math (namely the fact Harry has a $12 million apartment and John has roommates). But when an emergency bursts Lucy's bubble (I won't reveal too much, but trust me, the bubble does burst) everything she thought she knew goes up in smoke — including who she thought she was. And THAT'S the true tension of the movie, despite what the love triangle-centric marketing would have you believe. Lucy's spent her whole life trying to prove she's valuable, to everyone else and herself, and when supposed perfection can't fix someone's awful flaws, Lucy has to decide what worth actually means — and the viewer does too. I literally couldn't stop writing 'what is a person's value???' in my notebook over and over. From a thematic standpoint, it's a beautiful story that feels very familiar, but Celine Song's script breathes new life into the romance genre. The main reason Materialists stands out is that the story is quiet and slow, but not in a passive way. It never leaves you bored; instead, it's emotionally charged in a way that has you hanging on every facial expression. My favorite scene is a moment where two characters literally just stare at each other! The other great strength of Materialists is its incredible cast — whom Celine Song promised me in our exclusive interview are 'so in love' with each other! Dakota Johnson balances hope and cynicism in a way that stands in stark contrast to Chris Evans' heartbroken yearning and Pedro Pascal's effortless, grounded confidence. All three actors totally lose themselves in these roles, and the nuanced way they interact grips your attention. And they were so great, I would have been happy with any ending. Despite the way it engages with cynicism, Materialists is a hopeful commentary on modern dating. It's not telling us that money is more or less valuable than love, it's asking us what we actually value. The film isn't about our insatiable need for the material, it's about our insatiable need for the intangible. Because calculating your way to the picture-perfect life removes the soul, but when you love someone, and you know their intricacies, all math goes out the window. (Because let's be honest, as long as you're with the people you love, you come out at a net positive.) Love isn't about finding the perfect partner who will provide you the most spending money — it's about the people you're so gravitationally pulled to that you couldn't stop loving them if you tried. It's about the people you want to grow old with, who will help you bury your parents, and ultimately become that grave buddy. All in all, Materialists fits right in with rom-com classics, and it reminded me why I love movies in the first place. Celine Song's style is half pain, half beauty, all yearning — and this is definitely a movie for romantics AND realists. Let us know what you think about on .
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6 hours ago
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If anyone has mastered the art of blending cool-girl style with a subtly sexy flair, it's Dakota Johnson. Time after time, her off-duty looks are proof that she's the ultimate street style icon — and her latest jeans are no different. Though her pair presumably luxe, we found an affordable lookalike that's just a click away on Amazon. The Materialists actress was just spotted in New York City on May 30, wearing the ultimate retro outfit. The look consisted of a tan suede Khaite jacket, a Commando black bodysuit, Khaite wedge heels, Gucci oval sunnies and a pair of light-wash tapered jeans. While the original pair still remains unknown, this $56 version brings a piece of her it-girl style into our closets. Oh, and it's on sale right now. SEE IT! Get the (Originally $80) on sale for just at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication, June 3, 2025, but are subject to change. Love Natalie Portman's $1,190 Designer Sneakers? This Comfy $71 Lookalike Is Just as Trendy The Levi's 501 Original Fit Jeans nail the look with a classic fit and versatile style. Since Johnson wore the brand's jeans in the past, we can assume she'd approve of this pair, too. She's not the only one who appreciates a good pair of Levi's — celebrities like Selena Gomez and love this exact style as well. Emulating Johnson's pick, these Levi's jeans have a straight-leg cut, relaxed fit and a traditional light blue wash. Thanks to their vintage and worn-in vibe, the style gives off 'forever favorite jeans' energy, but they still feel crisp and fresh. Plus, the silhouette effortlessly hugs the body in the right places, even around the bum. The jeans are crafted with a breathable blend of cotton and lyocell, making them a great pick for the transitional months. No shortage of options, they range in sizes 23 to 40 plus, and come in colors like black, medium blue, white and more. That means it's easy to come back and grab a few more if they end up fitting just right. Need more proof? Over 800 shoppers gave the jeans their seal of approval in the form of five-star ratings. This shopper, who considers themselves a 'curvy person,' said that the jeans 'hug you where you want and are loose where you need it.' Another reviewer who's been looking for 'the perfect pair of jeans' said that these are 'not only high quality,' they also make their 'butt pop.' Additionally, they consider these Levi's as the "legit the holy grail' and confirmed, 'These jeans go with everything and have been my go-to jeans now.' Kristin Davis' Pink Bag Is Pure Charlotte York Energy — Snag the Chic Look for Just $22 SEE IT! While we think this style best copies Johnson's pick, there are so many other jeans on Amazon with a similar look — and an equally chic vibe. To ensure you find the fit, color and style, we rounded up a few other straight-leg options below. Shop more straight leg jeans that we love: Levi's Ribcage Full Length Jeans — $98! Amazon Essentials High-Rise Straight Jeans — $18! Calvin Klein High-Rise Straight-Leg Jeans — $23! Gloria Vanderbilt Amanda Classic High-Rise Tapered Jeans — was $48, now $25! Gap High-Rise Straight-Fit Denim Jeans — $10! Not your style? Explore more straight leg jeans and don't forget to check out all of for more great finds! Sarah Jessica Parker's Gingham Dress Looks Like Summer in the City — Get the $30 Lookalike Us Weekly and Yahoo have affiliate partnerships. We receive compensation when you click on a link and make a purchase. Learn more!
New York Post
10 hours ago
- New York Post
‘Materialists' review: Dakota Johnson goes from ‘Madame Web' to meh matchmaker
movie review MATERIALISTS Running time: 116 minutes. Rated R (language and brief sexual material). In theaters. Watching the new, unromantic, non-comedy 'Materialists' can feel like going on a shaky first date. There's something… off. Advertisement Is it 'Past Lives' writer-director Celine Song's love-triangle script, which is unnatural and stilted even by the standard of rom-coms such as 'Maid in Manhattan' or 'Two Weeks Notice?' Or is it star Dakota Johnson's stainless-steel 'tude as New York matchmaker Lucy? The always cool actress is auditioning to play the Terminator here. If you answered 'all of the above,' you're correct. Advertisement Yet our unease is partly by design. Song isn't so much trying to join the romantic comedy canon as she is firing a cannonball directly at it. 'Materialists' doesn't make you laugh or smile. Of this particular movie experience, Nicole Kidman might say, 'We come to this place to ponder, analyze and wince.' I flipped from being intrigued by the mysterious characters and tantalized by the luxury real estate to sitting there perplexed by the weird plot escalations that, while meant to drag rom-coms down to earth, drag viewers out of the film instead. On rare occasions, I was entertained. 4 Dakota Johnson and Pedro Pascal star in 'Materialists.' AP Advertisement At the start, the pieces are familiar to anybody who's seen 'The Wedding Planner' or 'The Wedding Singer.' There's Lucy, a love-averse young professional who's obsessed with her job in the relationship biz. Her sole criterion for her own future husband is that he be rich. Then — hello! — she meets a millionaire named Harry (Pedro Pascal) at a wedding at the Lotte Palace, and he sweeps her off her feet with his confidence and metal credit cards. Uh oh. At the same fete, she also reunites with a poor but hot former flame named John (Chris Evans). Whoever will she pick?! Advertisement 4 Lucy (Johnson) meets Harry (Pascal) at a wedding, and they start dating. AP The first half goes down as easily as a glass of 1990s bubbly, but there is an undercurrent of darkness. Song throws in cutting, albeit overwritten, observations about modern courtship — a k a you better have looks and money. Lucy adamantly insists, 'It's math,' and compares her job to working at the morgue. She finds matches for clients that 'check most of our boxes': Income, height, age, race, BMI. When Lucy hears about a surgery in which men get their leg bones broken to add six inches of height, she thinks it's a fabulous idea. Her matchmaking process is freakily clinical. It's practically the DMV — the Department of Marriage Vows. And the exercise mirrors the app-centric way people search for significant others nowadays. How depressing. 4 Lucy, a matchmaker, is an off-putting character, by design. AP Indeed, the men and women she works with are uniformly sad, vapid and shallow. There's not a single person in this movie you'll want to spend more than two minutes with. What we assume, of course, is that Lucy will learn that love is an intangible thing — a spark, not arithmetic. Advertisement That sort of happens. While one message is that people are more than numbers, the takeaway is far from upbeat or celebratory. What the statistics actually conceal are ugly, nasty qualities in people. Mostly that they're liars and creeps. Lucy herself is unpleasant-to-odious, again on purpose. The movie acknowledges that she's awful, and we're not meant to like her much at all. But off-putting characters must be more engaging than she is to justify the spotlight. 4 She's torn between Harry and John (Chris Evans). AP 'Materialists' lost me halfway through, admittedly, when it became more ambitious. A traumatic turning point is realistic and jarring; however, the film can't recover from it either. Advertisement Although I admired Song's aims to subvert a glossy Hollywood staple, I longed for the way her 'Past Lives' so simply and poignantly explored our 'what if?'s. Next to that, 'Materialists' is blunt and narratively messy. You can sense Song trying very hard to reach her ultimately unsatisfying and not-so-insightful end destination. En route, the acting is, frankly, ghoulish. Good for Johnson for breaking free from the embarrassing comic-book confines of 'Madame Web.' She still reads lines in a dreamy haze as if there is a crystal ball in front of her. And there's not much chemistry with Pascal or Evans, both of whom are fine, if a smidge somnambulic. Sadly, the follow-up from the director of 'Past Lives' had me dreaming about her past projects.
