Film Review

‘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.
‘Materialists’: A Romcom With Shrewd Observations About Love
Professional matchmaker Lucy (Dakota Johnson) and finance tycoon Harry (Pedro Pascal) discover they have quite a bit in common, in "Materialists." A24
Mark Jackson
Mark Jackson
Film Critic
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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, and a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic. He earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Williams College, followed by a classical theater conservatory training, and has 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 cited in the book "How to be a Film Critic in Five Easy Lessons" by Christopher K. Brooks. In addition to film, he enjoys Harley-Davidsons, martial arts, rock-climbing, qigong, and human rights activism.
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