From TikTok to the Big Screen: Megan Bonis Thoughts on the Film Materialists
In the bustling city of Manhattan, I met up with Megan Boni, the viral content creator known online as Girl on Couch, to discuss her hit song "Man in Finance" and her thoughts on the new film Materialists. The 28-year-old had gone viral last year with her catchy bop about her ideal man, which had been remixed by DJs Billen Ted and David Guetta, transcending social media and climbing the charts.
As we sat in a packed theater on a weekday afternoon, Boni and I both grabbed our respective snacks—a small popcorn for her and a small Icee for me—and settled into our plush reclining seats to watch the film. The movie, which had been screened for the press weeks earlier, was about a matchmaker named Lucy (played by Dakota Johnson) who quantified her clients' desires like math problems. They must be above a certain height, below a certain BMI, earn a certain amount of money, and meet other standards. A 6'5" man in finance with a trust fund and blue eyes would be a unicorn, or a rare find.
As Lucy's professional and love lives played out onscreen, Boni and I sat in polite silence. I thought I had been struck by a sudden onset flu during the screening, but I had mistakenly flipped on the seat warmer button that I didn't know existed, resulting in both chills and a cold sweat. Boni was too focused to notice.
As the credits rolled, we chatted as we descended various sets of stairs and escalators, grabbing a seat outside the concessions area to continue our conversation. "Can I be honest?" Boni said. "I mean, it was bad." She didn't like Lucy. Lucy's mean! For Boni, the moral of the story was difficult to detect—was it just that sometimes people are rich and sometimes they aren't and it's harder for the latter to find love? The character's choices didn't make sense to her. "I guess it is accurate because some women are psychos," Boni joked. "It's not even modern."
In conclusion, Materialists is a comedic exploration of love and money that raises questions about the expectations we place on ourselves and others in the dating world. While Boni found the film to be somewhat lacking in its portrayal of modern love, it still provided an interesting look into the world of matchmaking and the pressures that come with it.
