Celine Song’s second feature explores the modern-day dating marketplace
On the surface, a summer romance starring Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal sounds like a big budget studio comedy. However, adding in an independent distributor, A24, and an award-winning writer/director, Celine Song (Past Lives), makes one ponder if there’s something weightier behind the cast and genre. Materialists is Song’s second feature film, following her 2023 Best Picture nominated drama, Past Lives. Song’s indisputable knack for crafting intimate, complex connections between characters (she’s an accomplished playwright…and was a matchmaker, briefly…more on that later) is on full display in Materialists. Her skill as a writer, and how she directs her actors, distinguish her films from other romantic dramas with comparable emotional narratives. Materialists has much to say about modern-day dating, and through Song’s observant lens, her viewpoint makes for a rewarding viewing experience. Continue reading “Film Review: “Materialists””