Materialists is not a rom-com. Just a modern love story someone was bold enough to tell.

I went to see Materialists last night. I laughed, I cried, I pondered, I poked my boss in the arm in one particularly intriguing scene, because I find it necessary to convey every emotion I've ever felt, even when the rules of a civilised society dictate 'no talking' in the cinema.

When the end credits rolled, I thought, 'that wasn't what I expected, but it is what I wanted'.

The marketing for Materialists has made it seem like a swoon-worthy rom-com with a love triangle and killer soundtrack at its centre. Instead, it's an honest, unflinchingly real portrayal of modern dating and love in the year 2025.

An A24 rendition of a romance, written and directed by the acclaimed Celine Song, Materialists boasts plot, chemistry, and a script worth talking about. These are not groundbreaking features, but they are the trademarks of a movie worth its hype.

At a time when romantic movies predominantly fall into the Hallmark-style, where the small town boy meets a sassy city girl and they blissfully fall in love following one rather limited conversation, this intricate portrayal of love in Materialists is a breath of fresh air. 

The story centres around Lucy (Dakota Johnson), a 35-year-old matchmaker living in New York City. She's successful, she's driven, she's got perfect bangs and a wardrobe I'd like to steal. Described as the eternal bachelorette, Lucy peddles love stories and sells dreamlike fairytales to her clients — but her outlook on modern dating is far less idealistic.

Dakota Johnson is a sassy city girl (with substance) in Materialists. Image: Getty.

With a discerning eye and a penchant for checklists, Lucy can be ruthless in her search for love — both for herself and her clients. Because she isn't really looking for love, she's looking for marriage. And she simply does not buy that the two go hand-in-hand. 

Which makes the impending love triangle we've been promised all the more fascinating.

At the wedding of one of her clients, Lucy crosses paths with her two romantic options. One, a handsome, wealthy financial guru named Harry (played by the dashing Pedro Pascal). The other, an ex-boyfriend named John, who is moonlighting as a cater-waiter while he pursues his dream of becoming an actor (played by the charming Chris Evans). 

As she considers the options for her own love life, and the romantic goals of her clients, Lucy faces the blunt and brutal reality of being a modern woman. In an almost Austen-like way, director and writer Celine Song has exposed the still-real vulnerabilities of a woman in 'society'. Should you marry for love? Or should you marry for money? And does it make you shallow and evil and unworthy of true love if money plays a part? 

Her professional world opens up a far more interesting conversation about dating and the unattainable heights of romantic comedies and the expectations they set, but I can't delve wholly into what I'd like to say without ruining the film for you.

So for now, I'll say this: Lucy's work is the beating heart of this deep-dive into romance. It shows us the marks, scars, pains and triumphs of what they call 'putting yourself out there'.

In one poignant scene, Lucy rattles off a list of reasons she's struggling to find a match for one client. She's not too beautiful, too smart, too young, too perfect. She is just okay. She is a medium, okay person. And shouldn't Lucy be able to find someone who is okay enough for her to settle with?

Lucy treats marriage as a business proposition and sees the humanity in her clients as a puzzle to solve to get her job done: their unrealistic desires, their appropriate and sometimes very inappropriate requests, their future plans, their unwavering belief that they will find the perfect person despite all evidence to the contrary.

Chris Evans, Dakota Johnson and Pedro Pascal are a perfect team in Materialists. Image: Sony Pictures/A24.

Johnson is her charming self throughout the film, with dry wit and vulnerability — making Lucy a suitable addition to the list of romantic leads we love. Her main client in the matchmaking game is a standout, played stunningly by Succession's Zoe Winters.

Elsewhere, Pascal is underutilised. His character, Harry, is described as a 'unicorn' on the dating scene — and, for some reason, he wants Lucy. A fact she finds incomprehensible given he's 'out of her league' and she very obviously tells him she wants to marry for money. He's weirdly okay with that.

In fact, Harry is weirdly okay and two-dimensional for most of the film. It takes a lot of work to see the widespread charm and mass sex-appeal of a man like Pedro Pascal and bottle it down into a bland package. But by god, they did it. His stilted performance has its purpose, of course, working to bring together the total picture of this romantic engagement — but I felt he could've given more.

Evans, on the other hand, is rough and charming and lovable. He was given space to deliver a beautiful performance as John; a man laced with regret and hope over the failings of his former love with Lucy. If you'd like to swoon, he'll give you the opportunity with a nice monologue or two.

Together, this golden trio of stars perfectly delivered on a classic, old-school romantic drama. This movie is cynical, it's dark at times in ways I did not expect, it'll pry your heart open — slowly but surely. But I understand why some viewers have already claimed they were bored or unimpressed by the film.

Watch the trailer for Materialists. Article continues below.

Let me be abundantly clear once more: this is not a rom-com.

There are three dedicated spaces when it comes to romantic films: so-bad-it's-good trash, romantic comedies, and a romantic drama with substance.

Materialists falls into the latter. 

And in a time when it's harder than ever to receive funding and support from production companies — a time when it would be easier to present a cookie-cutter love story that could've so easily been achieved with this exact same cast — Celine Song took a bold swing to deliver a true romance. In all its stark realities.

For those hoping to see a free-wheeling rom-com akin to How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days or You've Got Mail, you might leave the cinema unsatisfied. I know a few people who did. But to me, Materialists is perfection. 

Materialists is in cinemas now.