As the title suggests, this movie was kinda forced upon my as YouTube kept recommending it to me for more than a week. I was like, what the heck!
Short recap
Two rich sisters (imagine Paris Hilton meets drugstore foundation) lose their fortune overnight after a scandal hits their late father’s cosmetics empire. They suddenly have to — gasp — live like normal people, learn about life, love, and bad makeup skills, and eventually (predictably) save the day and themselves.
Characters
- Ava Marchetta — Haylie Duff, the girly-girl sister who loves shopping (surprise).
- Tanzie Marchetta — Hilary Duff, the more business-minded sister (somehow), loves to watch her father’s documentaries, also wants to study chemistry.
- Inez — Their loyal housekeeper, moral compass and all-round saviour.
- Henry — Cute lawyer, here to provide last-minute love interest.
- Fabiella — Makeup brand rival, token villain.
10 Things I Noticed About Material Girls
1️⃣ YouTube’s recommendations have gone rogue. Why is it suddenly feeding me 2000s B-side chick flicks I didn’t even know existed?
2️⃣ The premise is so predictable it could have been written by an AI trained on 2005 teen magazines. Rich girls lose money → become humble → get boy → get money back → roll credits.
3️⃣ The Duff sisters look perpetually confused. Half the time it feels like they’re acting in different movies… or maybe thinking about lunch.
4️⃣ The makeup is criminal. It’s a film about cosmetics and yet every close-up screams “2000s frostbite lips and orange face powder.”
5️⃣ The acting is as subtle as a MySpace glitter GIF. Over-exaggerated reactions, lots of squealing, and zero nuance.
6️⃣ I am definitely not the target audience. Teen me might’ve loved it; current me just winces and checks the time.
7️⃣ The moral lesson is forced harder than a cheap lip liner. Money doesn’t buy happiness, but apparently it buys you one last chance at a makeover montage.
8️⃣ Every male character exists only to validate or save the sisters. Empowerment? More like conveniently timed boy crushes.
9️⃣ The comedic timing is… off. Pauses so awkward you could drive a stretch limo through them.
🔟 Despite everything, it’s oddly watchable. Like a sparkly, sticky lip gloss — you hate it but can’t stop reapplying.
Verdict: Watch only if you’re in the mood for a nostalgic, mildly embarrassing sleepover vibe — or if YouTube insists on pushing you down the early 2000s rabbit hole.
There, all done. Feeling much better now. Phew!
Shabana Mukhtar