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Actually, Dakota Johnson Ended Up With the Right Guy in “Materialists”
Warning: Spoilers for Materialists ahead!
I know who you wanted Dakota Johnson’s Lucy to end up with in Materialists, the romantic drama from Past Lives writer-director Celine Song. I heard it from close friends, and from acquaintances, and from strangers on the internet. Everyone, it seemed, was rooting for Pedro Pascal—or rather, his character, Harry, the winsome financier with both a $12 million penthouse in Manhattan and taste. Not since Napoleon Dynamite was there this much enthusiasm for a Pedro, fictional or otherwise.
But as soon as Chris Evans’s character John—Lucy’s scrappy, temperamental, and ruggedly handsome ex—appeared onscreen in the trailer, plopping down her quirky “coke and beer” drink order, I knew that the two were meant to be. I think we all did, in a way—and maybe that’s part of the reason why Team Harry was so fervent. Perhaps we’re all just empaths who can’t stand the idea of a man like Pedro Pascal living the sad, single life (even in a made-up version of reality). But c’mon. When John anticipated Lucy’s order? That was smooth as hell. Their fate was sealed at that very moment!
Still, John is a late-30s actor-slash-cater waiter who still lives with roommates. Not to mention, they had already dated for five years and broke up over money—specifically, a lack of it. Anyone, and especially a matchmaker like Lucy, would tell you that on paper, Harry is Husband Material and there’s a reason John is an ex.
There’s a sense of urgency underscoring Harry and Lucy’s relationship too. He’s desperate to settle down, and she’s worried he’s the diamond in the rough who won’t stay on the market for long. That they found each other in the first place seems like a miracle. (According to my single friends in the city, it is.) But soon, it becomes clear that their relationship fails to scratch the surface. Their attraction seems to be entirely based on their material desires: He wants a wife who is grounded but can still fit neatly into his world among the rich and even richer; she longs for financial security and stability. Neither of these desires makes them villains. In fact, they are entirely sensible. But…
