Movie Review - Materialists

Director: Celine Song
Genre: Romance/ Drama
Runtime: 116 minutes
Year: 2025
Starring: Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal
 
Description: A young, ambitious New York City matchmaker (Dakota Johnson) finds herself town between the perfect match (Pedro Pascal) and her imperfect ex (Chris Evans).
 
Review: With “Materialist”, director Celine Song breathes new life into the romcom genre. But don’t expect anything sugar sweet or cheesy; the romance in Song’s second film is raw and brutally honest.
Beautiful A-list actors gazing sultrily at each other, cheesy one-liners about eternal love, and passionate relationships in the heart of New York: judging by the synopsis and the trailer for “Materialists” moviegoers could look forward to a sweet rom-com. But it’s nothing like that. And that’s why I, a movie lover that is not the biggest fan of romcoms, loved “Materialists” so much more then I expected to. And it’s one of my favorite movies of 2025 so far.

Romantically inclined viewers would do well to adjust their expectations somewhat, because “Materialists” will not have you swooning or laughing out loud. Not that there isn’t any flirting or passionate longing in Song’s film, but she is more concerned with the psychology behind love than with its romantic portrayal. The main characters’ reflections are at the forefront.

The film follows Lucy, a highly successful professional matchmaker with nine marriages on her credit. For her, love is a matter of supply and demand: you “market value” is determined by your appearance, your income, and other material things. Lucy scours New York, pairing one perfect match after another.
Her own love life is less successful; her friends teasingly call her the eternal bachelorette. But then she meets the charming harry, who on paper is her perfect match. Lucy makes no secret of the fact that she wants to marry a rich man, and with Harry, she doesn’t have to worry about money. Ans besides his exorbitantly expensive apartment, designer clothes, and preference for high-quality restaurants, Harry also has good manners, is eloquent, and smart. Perfect, right?

When her ex John suddenly reappears in her life, Lucy begins to have doubts. This penniless, aspiring actor may not have money, but to Lucy he is a soulmate who really listens to her, is always there for her, and effortlessly makes her laugh.

It sounds like the classic premise for a lighthearted romcom, but in Song’s hands it becomes a very honest reflection of modern love. “Materialists” is emotionally charged and manages to get a grip on the deepest emotions of its characters. I went to see this movie, mainly for the amazing cast, expecting a solid romcom that I was going to enjoy just fine. But I got a completely different film, that totally surprised me, with a cast so strong and such an emotional load, and romance on a much deeper level. In my eyes, it’s definitely not a romcom, which is a good thing. Fans of the romcom genre might be disappointed, but as a non-romcom girlie I absolutely loved “Materialists”.

Rating: 5/ 5

Movie Review - Persuasion

Director: Carrie Cracknell
Genre: Romance/ Drama
Runtime: 107 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Dakota Johnson, Cosmo Jarvis, Henry Golding, Richard E. Grant
 
Description: Eight years after Anne Elliot (Dakota Johnson) was persuaded not to marry a dashing man of humble origins, they meet again. Will she seize her second chance at true love?

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2022 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 32: A COSTUME DRAMA

Review: Once again, it’s time for a Jane Austen film adaptation. This time it’s “Persuasion”. Like another recent Austen adaptation, “Emma”, this new incarnation has added a dash of extra humor and sarcasm.

Anne Elliot is still in pain after eight years, not being able to marry her lover because he wasn’t rich enough for her family. The he shows up again, but of course the past is still between them. Anne interferes with herself in conveying these entanglements to the audience, breaking the fourth wall. Not only dies she, for example, tell the audience who the family members are while looking into the camera, but she frequently casts telling glances at the viewers.

The downside of such a distinct is that, alongside previous films and series that employ this kind of device, it quickly becomes apparent that this trick only works if it is applied properly. Now it is merely a tiresome distraction. The dialogues that Anne delivers to catch up with the viewer mostly feel as if the information of the novel is most easily conveyed in this way. The winks towards the camera are just a gimmick, no deeper meaning is attached to them.

“Persuasion” unsuccessfully hitchhikes on the success of other costume dramas. The costumes are fine, but don’t stand out. The dialogues are a somewhat awkward mixture of old-fashioned language and new-fangled expressions. As a result, “Persuasion” seems to be stumbling on two thoughts. This is supported by a pretty standard piano soundtrack and closes with a song by Birdy that manages to evoke more emotion than the rest of the film.

A major problem is the chemistry between Anne and her returned lover Fredrick. Dakota Johnson is a bit out of touch with the movie world due to the choice to have her constantly break the fourth wall, making it hard to sympathize with her. Cosmo Jarvis does not convince with his acting, and looks merely sad, tormented and wooden for most of the film. Henry Golding as Anne’s cousin, stands out much more beside him with his playful, striking personality. But he’s only a side character, with not nearly enough screentime.

Despite attempts to shake things up a bit, “Persuasion” fails to make the viewer sympathize with Anne’s ups and downs. Comedy and the more serious emotional charge do not mix here. So this one can go on the pile of book to movie adaptations we didn’t need. There are better adaptations of this book.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

20s Movie Review - The Lost Daughter

Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 121 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson, Peter Sarsgaard, Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Ed Harris

Description: A women’s (Olivia Colman) beach vacation takes a dark turn when she begins to confront the troubles of her past.

Review: At the last minute of 2021, actress Maggie Gyllenhaal comes to Netflix with her directorial debut “The Lost Daughter”. An intelligent film about motherhood and responsibilities. It’s a remarkably nuanced film whose provocative message will stay with you for days to come.
Leda is enjoying some time off on a Greek island. While on the beach, she is relaxing and enjoying the peace and quiet. Her oasis of calm changes when an American family, with screaming children, noisily takes over the beach.
When she meets a young woman called Nina and her daughter Elena, it brings back painful, unprocessed memories for Leda. Memories of Leda’s own time as a mother of two young daughters, Bianca and Martha. In flashbacks sprinkled throughout the film, we see a young Leda combining her work and studies with motherhood and demanding relationship. And those worlds collide more often than not.
Olivia Colman once again puts in a masterful actin performance. But Jessie Buckley’s portrayal of the younger version of Leda also deserves high praise. Seamlessly, the two seem like the same person with a twenty year age difference.  
The title “The Lost Daughter” suggest that a child disappears and the film becomes a quest to find the girl. This is true, but it’s only a small part of the film. The incident is a clever diversion for the film’s real protagonists: atypical mothers. Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut does not unfold as a mystery detective thriller at all. “The Lost Daughter” is a character study of women struggling with motherhood and the expectations and responsibilities that come with it. Women who must choose for themselves. As selfish as that may seem, it is far from incomprehensible.
Leda is also, to a certain extent, not a sympathetic character at all. Not everyone is made for motherhood, and children can be an oppressive responsibility. Leda describes herself throughout the film as an unnatural mother. Her façade of difference and self-reliance makes Leda a complex character whose unpredictable behavior keeps her constantly intrigued. In young mother Nina, with her always crying daughter, she finds recognition. A recognition she has hidden away to avoid having to face her life decisions.
“The Lost Daughter” is a unique film because the self-evident maternal instinct is turned on it head. The film is somewhat uncomfortable to watch, because Leda is such a complex character and she is very clear about her boundaries, and the situations she is put in (or often puts herself in) can be very uncomfortable to witness. For her directorial debut, Maggie Gyllenhaal has passed with flying colors. It’s a very interesting watch.  

Rating: 4/ 5

10s Movie Review - A Bigger Splash

Director: Luca Guadagnino
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 120 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes, Matthias Schoenaerts, Dakota Johnson

Description: The vacation of a famous rock star (Tilda Swinton) and her boyfriend (Matthias Schoenaerts) in Italy is disrupted by the unexpected visit of an old friend (Ralph Fiennes) and his daughter (Dakota Johnson)

Review: Celebrity couple Marianne and Paul seem to only need each other. Marianne is a famous rock star and Paul is a documentary film maker and they are enjoying their carefree vacation in a villa in Pantelleria, Italy. Their days are filled with sunshine, sex, good food and swimming. Their tranquility is disturbed by the unexpected arrival of an old friend, Harry, a flamboyant, screaming and unbridled music producer who immediately claims all their space and attention. He also brought his 22-year-old daughter Penelope, whom he met only a year ago.
“A Bigger Splash” is inspired by “La Piscine” by Jacques Deray, which was an erotic cult hit from the sixties. Sicilian director Luca Guadagnino follows the moods and atmosphere of this film, but turns his film into something far more interesting. “A Bigger Splash” goes deeper: with the characters, who are all layered, and the underlying psychology of these four people.
The way “A Bigger Splash” is filmed is stunning: the lighting, framing, movements, montage, locations, wardrobes. It all looks beautiful. Although it’s mostly very subtle, the film has something bold and obstinate. Along the way more (sexual) tension and drama enters their lives.
Tilda Swinton and Matthias Schoenaerts are both very good, but it’s Ralph Fiennes who stands out and steals the show. It is in fact one of his best roles to date. As Harry, he manages to be both unbearable and irresistible.
“A Bigger Splash’’ is funny, sad, melancholic and sensual. A very good and beautiful looking film.

Rating: 4/ 5

10s Movie Review - The Peanut Butter Falcon

Director: Tyler Nilson, Michael Schwartz
Genre: Adventure/ Drama/ Comedy
Runtime: 93 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Zack Gottsagen, Dakota Johnson, Bruce Dern, John Hawkes, Thomas Haden Church, Jake Roberts, Jon Bernthal, Mick Foley

Description: Zak (Zack Gottsagen) runs away from his care home to make his dream of becoming a wrestler come true.

Review: Coming up with an original road movie isn’t an easy task, because it often comes to two total opposites during a trip from A to B. In “The Peanut Butter Falcon” a fugitive fisherman is stuck with escapee Zak, who has down syndrome. The ‘Southern’ atmosphere and the chemistry and dynamic between the two leads make this a loveable feel good film.
Zak has no family that can take care of him. Because there is not place for him, he lives in a retirement home. Zak constantly tries to break out, to find his idol Salt Water Redneck and become a wrestler. His caretaker Eleanor tries everything to make him feel at home, but Zak manages to break out anyway.
A few miles ahead, fisherman Tyler gets in a dispute with the people he works with. Out of revenge, Tyler burns their warehouse and flees on a boat. And it just happens that Zak was hiding on this boat. Tyler isn’t really in the mood to have a traveling partner, but the two develop a special friendship and help each other.
“The Peanut Butter Falcon” is an atmospheric, modern scoundrel tale, set in the Southern part of the US. Shia LaBeouf is fantastic, but Zack Gottslagen is the real star in the film. The chemistry between the two is amazing and that is what makes this film so great, heartwarming and unforgettable. Without a strong cast like this, the film would easily have been standard.

Rating: 4 / 5

10s Movie Review - Fifty Shades Freed

WARNING: IF YOU'RE A FAN, YOU MIGHT GET HURT!

Director: James Foley
Genre: Drama/ Romance
Runtime: 105 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Rita Ora, Marcia Gay Harden, Luke Grimes, Jennifer Ehle, Eric Johnson

Description: Anastasia (Dakota Johnson) and Christian (Jamie Dornan) get married, but Jack Hyde (Eric Johnson) continues to threaten their relationship.

Review: The opening scene of “Fifty Shades Freed”, the third film based on the bestselling trilogy by author E.L. James, sets the tone for the film. Anastasia and Christian get married and fly to Paris together for their honeymoon. It’s not your erotic thriller, it’s a sugar sweet romance film with absolutely no plot. Because the sex is pretty standard, they do things many couples in love do and IT SUCKS!!!!
Anastasia has to get used to her new life. And the possessive, controlling and jealous Christian has to get used to the married life. And I seriously don’t understand why anyone wants to be with Christian Grey, because he is POSSESSIVE, CONTROLLING AND JEALOUS! When Anastasia does so much as just talk to a semi-attractive man, he is raged with jealousy. And if she doesn’t go home straight from work, she gets punished. And it’s weird that Anastasia still gets shocked about the fact that Christian has handcuffs or that she doesn’t know he has an airplane is beyond me. Plus the fact that they never talked about having children before they got married. WHY ARE THEY TOGETHER (a lot of frustration as you can read).
To spice up the non-existent plot, they bring back Jack Hyde, for some thriller elements. Which brings no tension whatsoever. Oh, and did I mention those horrible scenes that are practically commercials for Audi. Or that every word spoken is cringeworthy. And they are straight from the ‘best-selling’ novels. The fact that they are best-selling kind of worries me. Or to be more specific, people actually like this. How?
The acting is awful. Even Dakota Johnson isn’t even trying anymore. And Jamie Dornan has the charisma of a doorknob (because that’s what his last name sounds like).
These films are all atrocious and I never want to see them ever again!

Rating: 0,5 / 5

10s Movie Review - Bad Times at the El Royale

Director: Drew Goddard
Genre: Thriller
Runtime: 142 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, Chris Hemsworth, Nick Offerman

Description: Circa 1969, several strangers, most with a secret to bury, meet by chance at Lake Tahoe's El Royale, a rundown hotel with a dark past. Over the course of one night, everyone will show their true colors - before everything goes to hell.

Review: Many times I thought about Quentin Tarantino, while watching “Bad Times at the El Royale”. And that’s a compliment to director Drew Goddard, who is still looking for his own voice but is very talented. Goddard decided to use the non-chronological narration and it works!
The El Royale hotel stand on both Californian and Nevada ground. The border runs right through the middle of the hotel. And the hotel is some strange clientele. The mysterious Father Flynn, soul singer Darlene Sweet, slick salesman Laramie Sullivan and hippie girl Emily Summerspring. All of them have secrets, including the hotel itself.
Goddard has an eye for atmospheric detail, manages to create unusual camera angles and builds up the tension. It looks fantastic. Especially one scene, with Darlene singing “You Can’t Hurry Love” shows what a great filmmaker Goddard actually is.
All characters have their own reasons to be in the El Royale and the less you know from the start, the better. Jeff Bridges is strong as always. But it’s Chris Hemsworth who steals the show as Billy Lee. It takes a while for him to enter the story, but when he does, he really does.
“Bad Times at the El Royale” is a really good film, that looks great and has amazing potential. I enjoyed it from start to finish!

Rating: 4/ 5

10s Movie Review - How to Be Single

Director: Christian Ditter
Genre: Comedy/Romance
Runtime: 109 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Leslie Mann, Alison Brie, Damon Wayans Jr., Anders Holm, Jake Lacy, Colin Jost

Description: A group of young adults navigate love and relationships in New York City.

Review: A film with multiple storylines is a common given in modern day romantic comedies. There is off course so much to tell about love. Since “Love Actually” this concept has almost become a romcom cliché. “How to Be Single” is also set in this format. Not persee a search for love, but the will to live without. And it soon shows there is not a lot to talk about, because the message is clear pretty quick.
In “How to Be Single” we follow four women in New York. All have a difficult time dealing with relationships in their own way. Either because they can’t commit or they simply can’t let go. Alice has decided to take a break from her relationship, in order to find herself. Her older sister Meg is a workaholic with the dream of becoming a mother, without a man. Alice friend Robin lives for parties and having one night stands. Lucy is focused on online dating, without noticing the men surrounding her. And there are plenty of great men in new York. But if you don’t know what you want, it doesn’t help you much. First get to know yourself, before getting to know someone else. This is something that the women in this film don’t really understand.
Alice’s story is the lead, mainly because she is the connection to Robin and Meg. Lucy’s storyline is dangling on the side. And Alison Brie’s talent is underused this way. I will choose Brie’s energetic performance over Dakota Johnson’s anytime. Her character Alice is constantly needing people around her, she is hopelessly naïve and her storyline quickly bores. Her sister’s story has that same effect. And all the male roles lack any depth. Thank goodness for Rebel Wilson, because she is the funny aspect in “How to Be Single”. If it wasn’t for her and Alison Brie, this film would be even worse.
“How to Be Single” does something that has been done so many times before. A very forgettable romcom.

Rating: 2/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 105: Need For Speed

Director: Scott Waugh
Genre: Action/ Crime
Runtime: 131 minutes
Year: 2014
Starring: Aaron Paul, Dominic Cooper, Imogen Poots, Rami Malek, Dakota Johnson, Michael Keaton

Description: Fresh from prison, a street racer (Aaron Paul) who was framed by a wealthy business associate (Dominic Cooper) joins a cross country race with revenge in mind. His ex-partner, learning of the plan, places a massive bounty on his head as the race begins.

Review: Movies based on videogames don’t have a good reputation. When it’s a race game where the story barely even matters, the fans are skeptic. But “Need For Speed” has some tricks up its sleeve: a big budget, a talented cast and an ambitious director.
“Need For Speed” is based on the game with the same name, where the first part came out in 1994. The story is about Tobey Marshall, the owner of a garage and a talented street racer. When his garage has financial struggles, his arrogant rival Dino Brewster gets him to join an illegal street race, where the winner gets a large amount of money. The race ends up in disaster, when one of the cars makes a fatal crash. Dino gets out before he gets in trouble, but Tobey gets the blame for it. After two years of prison, he is determined to clear his name and take revenge on Dino.
Action movies like this don’t really need an intelligent plot or a surprising course of events. Beautiful cars and spectacular races and chases are enough. Director Waugh experimented with angles while filming those races: from the first person, from the sky, far away and up close. And he manages to make you feel that speed. And the stunts are real, no green screens. “Need For Speed” is visually very well done.
Aaron Paul does a good job and I really liked his chemistry with Imogen Poots. But the dialogue is so silly and clumsy sometimes. Michael Keaton is one of my favorites, but his role is a bit strange and I don’t know why he is in this film. His character seems unnecessary. And that strip scene by Rami Malek didn’t belong here either.
“Need For Speed” is filled with clichés, but this film does have something. The film never bored me, even though I have no connection with cars whatsoever. Maybe it was Aaron Paul…

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 24: Fifty Shades Darker

Director: James Foley
Genre: Drama/ Romance
Runtime: 118 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Eric Johnson, Bella Heathcote, Rita Ora, Bruce Altman, Kim Basinger, Marcia Gay Harden

Description: While Christian (Jamie Dornan) wrestles with his inner demons, Anastasia (Dakota Johnson) must confront the anger and envy of the women who came before her.

Review: I was warned, but I saw it anyway. If you thought “Fifty Shades of Grey” was bad, you haven’t seen the worst. Because “Fifty Shades Darker” is horrendous.
Everyone who had the need to, and many who didn’t, know the books by E.L. James. That the story is based on “Twilight” fanfiction says enough about the quality of the writing.
In “Fifty Shades Darker” we follow Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele once again. Anastasia left Christian at the end of the first film, but within the first five minutes of “Fifty Shades Darker”, the two meet again and hook up.
What director James Foley, who also directed “Glengarry Glen Ross” (great movie), was thinking, nobody knows. This film’s story is ridiculous. Wait, there is none. There is no story! The characters are stupid and dumb and very unbelievable. “Fifty Shades Darker” is just two people, that have sex. The rest that happens is unimportant. The trailer led you to believe that there was going to be tension. The girl for instance, that shows up in Anastasia’s room. That is indeed all she does. She appears a couple of times and she is gone just as fast. It does nothing for the story (that is not there). And there is a scene where Christian crashes with his helicopter. He is literally missing for five minutes and then returns asking: “What did I miss?”
The bedroom scenes aren’t sexy, just like in the first film. It’s very mild and not as controversial as people might think it will be. I at least expected to see some more of Jamie Dornan’s butt.
They added Kim Basinger (an Oscar winning actress) to the party, as Christian’s former lover. He was her submissive. But she is in three or four scenes. And Anastasia’s new boss is introduced, who transfers from just being Anastasia’s boss to full on psycho creep in no time. Talking about lack of character development.
The fact that Christian went from the “I don’t do romance” guy, to the “all I need is you” guy, is also very unbelievable. Anastasia is a pretty and kind girl, but given Christian’s personal trades, interests and ‘extraordinary hobbies’, I just don’t get why it’s her he wants so bad.
Gosh, I’m looking forward to “Fifty Shades Freed”. NOT!

Rating: 0,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 28: Fifty Shades of Grey

Director: Sam Taylor-Johnson

Genre: Drama/ Romance

Runtime: 125 minutes

Year: 2015

Starring: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Rita Ora, Luke Grimes, Jennifer Ehle, Marcia Gay Harden, Eloise Mumford, Max Martini, Rachel Skarsten, Victor Rasuk, Callum Keith Rennie, Emily Fonda, Dylan Neal, Anne Marie DeLuise, Anthony Konechny

Description: Literature student Anastasia Steele's (Dakota Johnson) life changes forever when she meets handsome, yet tormented, billionaire Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan).

Review: Anastasia Steele meets handsome and rich business man Christian Grey, during an interview. The two feel attraction, but the intimidating Christian has a sexual preference that scares Anastasia at first. The two keep seeing each other and Anastasia discovers a side of herself she didn’t know and it will change her life forever.

The “Fifty Shades of Grey” trilogy was a worldwide phenomenon. Over 90 million copies were sold. Off course there had to be a movie. And the big question was: who will play Mr. Grey? It was announced that Charlie Hunnam would take on the role, but due to his show “Sons of Anarchy” the role eventually went to Jamie Dornan. For Anastasia they choose unknown actress Dakota Johnson, who is the daughter of Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith. That people were looking forward to the movie was obvious. The trailer alone was viewed over 100 million times.

The book isn’t very subtle and neither is the movie. Where the book deals with the clichés seriously, in the movie they add a bit more (cheesy) humor. Anastasia’s character is very naïve and she doesn’t seem to have a spine, but in the movie Dakota Johnson made her more human. Jamie Dornan has bigger shoes to fill. He has the looks, I’ll give him that, but Christian Grey is such an underdeveloped character, that there’s hardly anything he can do with it. No more than giving Anastasia some sultry looks. The emotional moments between the two don’t go anywhere either. Every time Anastasia asks Christian why he can’t show more of himself, he sits melodramatically behind a piano. The lighter scenes work better between them, but they don’t fit the movie.

The most important thing about the book is the sex. BDSM (bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism and masochism – yes, I looked it up) for a mainstream audience. The question was: how will they put this in the movie? First off, the movie is brought to us by a big American studio, so we don’t have to expect anything shocking. To be quite frank, the sex scenes are not that kinky. Christian keeps his pants on way to many times and we get a lot of close ups of Anatasia’s face. With that “Fifty Shades of Grey” has bad dialogues and is very unsexy for a movie that is supposed to be sexy.

The book is bad, but the movie isn’t any better. And there are two more of them. Dakota Johnson made it a bit more bearable and I don’t mind looking at Jamie Dornan, but trust me people, you can better skip “Fifty Shades of grey” and watch “Basic Instinct” instead.

Rating: 1,5/ 5