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This week at The Tryon Theatre is “Materialists” (Song 2025), a modern romantic comedy that features all the hallmarks of the genre, but also expertly interweaves refreshingly insightful and self-aware critiques of the “rom-com.” 

This film is set in the quintessential environment of complicated love, New York City, where the volume of choices in one’s love life ironically keeps them single. The promise of better alternatives is ever around the corner, undercutting any satisfaction of commitment, and the fast-paced commercialism of the urban behemoth is a constant barrage of messaging, both explicit and implicit—all building to an inescapable feeling of financial inadequacy. 

A ceaseless current of consumerism has shaped the modern dating scene into a commodified series of checklists, with actual romantic connections subsumed to one of many items on a list, if on the list at all. 

This gamified “market” of big city dating is the foundation upon which “Materialists” is built, informed by the tenuously maintained rules of this world. At the center of the plot is Lucy (played by Dakota Johnson, in her best role), a talented but jaded matchmaker working for the service Adore, which aims to pair their paying clients with the right partner who will fulfill each other’s dispassionately curated qualifications. 

Lucy, while consumed with a life of “love,” has eschewed any such personal ambitions, instead pouring herself into her work, seeking vicarious fulfillment through her client’s satisfaction. It is within this framework that the film’s plot opens, with Lucy perfectly poised to be blindsided by her own romance, allowing viewers to benefit from all the ensuing comedy and romantic comfort. 

The exact unfolding of Lucy’s own romance is a delightfully insightful exploration of subverting the expectations of the romantic comedy, providing no shortage of humor and flirtatious dialogue, but also no lack of left turns in the plot’s trajectory. The plot departs from the beaten path; however, one classic trope of the romantic comedy is nonetheless central to the film in every way: the love triangle. Lucy, as the protagonist, finds herself in the position of choosing between two different men, each representing different desires and needs for Lucy, a poetic dichotomy of love vs money. 

Each of these potential suitors is played wonderfully in “Materialists,” with the small cast rising to significant heights in their roles, each delivering a performance that matches their good looks. The two actors filling out the other points of the triangle are Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal, a painfully difficult choice for Lucy to make, who, much like the audience, desires to have her cake and eat it too. 

“Materialists” is a very well-made romantic comedy, insightful and intelligent, but never loses the right dose of ribald humor, balancing the heavier questions of love and dedication. In its craftful subversion of the genre, this film has a maturity that warrants a wiser gaze than is demanded from most films in the genre, and it absolutely delivers for that mature audience. 

We hope you all will join us for the laughter, romance, and surprising depth of “Materialists”!