Materialists (2025)

Amy recommended and we really liked this glossy story of a successful high-price Manhattan matchmaker. I don't want to give away as much as everyone else does. The main stars Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal are joined by Zoë Winters, Marin Ireland, Louisa Jacobson, John Magaro, and Sawyer Spielberg, just to name a few.

Director/writer Celine Song worked at a New York matchmaking agency years ago, so this had been brewing in her head for a while. This is her second feature and the first, Past Lives, earned an Oscar nomination for her Best Original Screenplay and the movie for Best Picture.

I'm currently enjoying Daniel Pemberton's score on Apple Music as I type. Apparently cinematographer Shabier Kirchner shot the movie in 35mm, but I don't remember the resolution so well, since we watched it over a month ago. I do, however, remember that it had high production values. with beautiful sets (production design by Anthony Gasparro) and costumes (by Katina Danabassis).

Johnson was last blogged for Am I OK?, Evans for Deadpool & Wolverine, Pascal for Drive-Away Dolls, Winters for Jules, Ireland for Eileen, Magaro for September 5, Song and Kirchner for Past Lives, and Pemberton for Fly Me to the Moon. Jacobson, who is one of Meryl Streep's daughters, is best known for 25 episodes of The Gilded Age as Marian Brook and Spielberg, son of Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw, is new to me. Gasparro's design work includes Certain Women and First Cow and Danabassis's includes C'mon C'mon and Sharp Stick.

Rotten Tomatoes' critics aren't very greedy, averaging 78%, while its audiences seem almost thrifty at 66. Jack and I rented it on October 17, but now it's available on HBO/Max or whatever it's called this week, with a subscription.

Do stay for the end credits.