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Like Dakota Johnson's Lucy in Materialists, I'm a woman endlessly ping-ponging between my two great loves. Unlike Lucy, though, mine aren't Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans, they're polar-opposite genres: horror and romance. I'm just as here for an emotionally charged kiss as I am a blood-soaked kill, which not only makes me an unabashed fan of The Conjuring movies, it has me worriedly side-eyeing the way people are talking about Celine Song's latest…
Set in New York City, it centers on former actress-turned-matchmaker Lucy, who starts to question her ability to kickstart the perfect relationship when she falls for flashy financier Harry (Pascal) and her sweet, struggling ex John (Evans). "It's not your traditional rom-com, it's better!" and "Don't be fooled by the trailer!" are just some of the things critics have said about it in the run-up to its release, as others argue that it's "more thoughtful and honest" than titles we usually see in this space. "Did you really think Celine Song, already one of our best chroniclers of what love actually is, would make a shiny little rom-com about good, happy people? Please," writes Indiewire. The praise is warranted. But all the punching down at a genre that at worst, inspired it and at best, includes it can't help but leave an icky taste in my mouth – and remind me of when the term "elevated horror" was coined in the 2010s.
The phrase, which was first used in association to the likes of The Babadook, Get Out, and Hereditary, quickly came to describe any scary movies that are artistically unconventional, prioritize character development and storytelling, and explore heavy themes over jump scares and gore. You know, the "dramas" hidden inside horror films. (Forgive my eyeroll). Fans and filmmakers alike have criticized the term in the years since, suggesting that it unfairly divides art into two categories: high brow and low brow. An A24 production, for example, would automatically be seen as the former, while Blumhouse's offerings are often classed as trashier popcorn fare. What "elevated horror" negates, though, is that there are certain skills needed to create both, and one isn't more valid than the other. They scratch different itches. Hell, The Evil Dead is as schlocky as they come, but it cemented writer-director Sam Raimi as a scream king back in 1981 – and is one of my favorite films of all time.
"It's a trap"
"I don't believe in that term elevated horror, because I think every horror is elevated, as far as you ask me," James Wan previously said in an interview with SlashFilm. "So I love Robert Wise's The Haunting all the way down to whatever. To me, there's none of this [elitism]. They're all at the same level."
"I don't want people to think that I’m trying to make 'elevated' films," Oscar winner Jordan Peele told The Verge just a few years back. “I think that's a trap that I don't quite appreciate because I, you know, I like making fucked-up films. I like making weird movies that I'm really just not supposed to make – and sometimes challenge people on the other side of things as well." That's the problem, right? Who are these comparisons even serving?
It's no secret that horror has boomed in popularity in recent years and with that, both studios and audiences have started taking the genre more seriously – which is why "elevated horror" rubs so many up the wrong way, but there was a time when the genre was looked down on and written off by many. It's clear that's the case for rom-coms now, too, if the sole measure of their "goodness" is how little rom-com DNA they have in them.
Materialists has more to say outside of its central love triangle plot. Having always vowed to marry a rich man, Lucy's dreams look to have come true when she meets Harry – though the film refuses to present it that way. Instead, it examines the complexities of merging your life with someone living an entirely different one, especially when it comes to finances. That's not necessarily new, mind… just ask any Julia Roberts fan. Both Pretty Woman (1990) and Notting Hill (1999) explored such difficulties. Roman Holiday (1953), William Wyler's swooner about an American reporter losing his heart to a princess, did it first, though. Then you've got You've Got Mail, which is as much about technology's takeover in the late '90s as it is Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks making googly eyes at each other, or 2018's Love, Simon, which follows its protagonist as he comes to terms with his sexuality while striking up a romance with an anonymous pen pal. Turns out, Materialists isn't "better" than "traditional" rom-coms after all, it's just... a great rom-com – and that's OK.
Materialists releases in the US on June 13, and in the UK on August 15. For more, check out our guide to the most exciting upcoming movies heading our way.
