Spoiler-Free 'Materialists' Analysis

I'm tired, so let's dive into it.

Let's start with the cast. Dakota Johnson was amazing. Pedro Pascal was so hot it was distracting. Chris Evans gave a great performance—even if, weirdly, I didn’t find him that attractive in this one (which has nothing to do with the plot, but still feels worth noting).

I have a love-hate relationship with this movie. I really liked it, and I liked the story it told, but honestly, there were moments where it was hard to watch—not because it was bad, but because it was real. Uncomfortably real. It exposed just how materialistic and selfish people can be, especially when it comes to love, relationships, and marriage. It made me think of something I said to a friend once: that I don’t always believe people actually love each other. I think sometimes people just use each other to get what they want. And I’m not even sure I know what real love is.

I had a friend once who told me—very plainly—that her goal was to marry up. And that’s fine, she can live her life however she wants. But this movie digs into that exact idea. It shows how, historically, marriage was about uniting kingdoms or acquiring farmland. Now it’s… what? Comfort? Status? Security? Loneliness? The film doesn’t give a neat answer, but it makes you sit with the question: what are we all really looking for?

Maybe the point is, you can marry for whatever reason you want. Or maybe it’s okay to just settle. Or maybe—just maybe—you don’t need the fancy things you thought you wanted, or thought you deserved. Maybe you just want something that’s honest. Simple. Real. I don’t know if that’s what the filmmakers were trying to say, but it’s what I took from it.

The main character really resonated with me. She admitted she was selfish. She knew she wasn’t always kind or fair. But at least she was honest about it. There was something brave in that. And I appreciated how raw the film was about dating—especially from a woman’s perspective. It portrayed how risky and vulnerable it is to put yourself out there. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. But you don’t know until you try.

There was also a part that touched on how we change ourselves to be more appealing—to be dateable. And lately, I’ve been thinking about that a lot. Honestly, I’ve pretty much stopped wearing makeup altogether. Not because it’s some grand statement, but because if someone doesn’t like how I look without it… then that probably tells me everything I need to know. I want to be myself. And maybe that'll be enough for someone one day.

This movie made me reflect on all of that. It wasn’t easy to watch at times, but it was thoughtful and real. It made me feel seen. And it left me thinking—which is an important aspect of the movie-viewing experience for me.

A24 really nailed it with this one. Go watch it.