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‘Materialists’: A Romcom With Shrewd Observations About Love

‘Materialists’ needed the quirky humor, passion, and earnest integrity of ’The Notebook' to sell this somewhat cynical romcom. But it’s still a good watch.
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‘Materialists’: A Romcom With Shrewd Observations About Love
Lucy (Dakota Johnson) and ex-boyfriend John (Chris Evans) relive the past for a minute, in "Materialists." A24
Mark Jackson
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R | 1h 56m | Rom-Com | 2025

Don’t let A24’s Nora Ephron-esque romcom marketing that makes “Materialists” look like a fairy tale of modern dating in Manhattan fool you. Korean-American filmmaker Celine Song’s second film attempts to be a discerning, perceptive, sharp-witted lament for what love has become in the transactional, commodity-driven age.

Mark Jackson
Mark Jackson
Film Critic
Mark Jackson is the chief film critic for The Epoch Times. In addition to film, he enjoys martial arts, motorcycles, rock-climbing, qigong, and human rights activism. Jackson earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Williams College, followed by 20 years' experience as a New York professional actor. He narrated The Epoch Times audiobook "How the Specter of Communism is Ruling Our World," available on iTunes, Audible, and YouTube. Mark is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic.
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