I never saw Dakota Johnson’s breakout performance in Fifty Shades of Grey, but I’ve been impressed by her more recent work, especially 2023’s poorly named Daddio. (We’ll not address Madame Web here. Everyone’s allowed a bad superhero casting choice.) She’s intelligent, effortlessly attractive, wickedly wry and, most importantly, totally believable in whatever she does. 

South Korean playwright-turned-writer/director Celine Song (Past Lives) makes use of all these thespian qualities in this tale of an ambitious and cynical young New York City matchmaker who finds herself torn between what is, by her professional checklist, her perfect match (Pablo Pascal) and her decidedly imperfect ex-boyfriend (Chris Evans), an aspiring actor currently and of course temporarily working as a waiter. 

I know, I know. Been there, done that, you’re saying.  But Song, an astute observer of relationships, eschews the obvious rom-com story arc for a surprisingly deep and thoughtful examination of self-worth and perceived value, while sagely providing no easy answers. This one will have you thinking for a while. (116 min)