“Materialists” (2025): Matchmaking Meets Modern Romance

Celine Song’s second feature film, Materialists, has arrived with quiet confidence and bold ambition. Following her critically acclaimed debut Past Lives, Song trades poetic memory for sleek cynicism in this sharply observed romantic drama set in New York City’s world of wealth, weddings, and emotional risk.

Starring Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, and Chris Evans, Materialists is less about matchmaking and more about what we trade away to feel secure in love—and what happens when appearances collide with authenticity.

Plot Overview

Lucy Mason is a former actor turned elite matchmaker. She works for Adore, a high-end service that pairs wealthy singles based on lifestyle compatibility and curated image. Lucy has helped orchestrate nine high-profile marriages, and she lives with the confidence of someone who believes she has cracked the formula for modern romance.

When billionaire Harry Castillo enters her orbit as a new client, Lucy’s life seems poised to level up. He is everything her brand represents—refined, successful, and emotionally available. But during a wedding she helped plan, Lucy unexpectedly runs into her ex-boyfriend John, now a struggling actor who works catering gigs to pay rent.

Caught between two men and two very different lives, Lucy must confront the reality behind the glossy version of herself she has built.

Performances

Dakota Johnson plays Lucy with restraint and control. Her performance leans into cool surfaces, rarely cracking, but when it does, it lands. Pedro Pascal brings warmth and charm to Harry, without turning him into a caricature of wealth. Chris Evans is the emotional anchor of the film. His portrayal of John is grounded, open, and surprisingly vulnerable.

Together, they form a triangle that is less about romance and more about values.

Visual Style

Shot on 35mm film and set across various New York locations, including SoHo, Tribeca, and upstate retreats, Materialistsis as visually curated as its protagonist’s life. The production design is clean, minimalist, and quietly suffocating. Every object on screen seems chosen for its symbolism, mirrors, sterile rooms, and designer clothes that slowly begin to feel like armor.

Daniel Pemberton’s score adds a delicate tension, moving between light piano and more ominous undertones.

Critical and Audience Response

The film has earned largely positive reviews from critics. It holds an 87 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, with praise focusing on its smart script, strong performances, and subversion of romantic tropes.

CinemaBlend called it “a deeply romantic yet realistic love story,” while RogerEbert.com noted that “Song remains clear-eyed about what people sacrifice to feel loved.”

However, some audiences have found the film emotionally distant. Critics from Vulture and the New York Post argued that the characters lack chemistry and that Lucy’s choices feel underdeveloped. Social media response has been mixed. While many praised Pascal and Evans, others felt Johnson’s performance was too cold to connect.

Reddit threads show heated debates over whether the film is a critique of gold-digging or a feminist commentary on emotional labor in relationships.

Themes

Materialism is not just the title, it’s the structure of the story. The film explores how capitalism has shaped intimacy. It examines how much of modern romance is a transaction, how desire is packaged, and how love can become a performance.

Lucy is not judged for her ambition, but the film asks: What happens when the life we curate is more palatable than the one we really want?

Final Thoughts

Materialists is not a traditional love story. It is stylish, deliberate, and sometimes uncomfortable. But it is also one of the most honest portrayals of how love operates in a world obsessed with appearances, status, and control.

Celine Song once again proves that she is not interested in easy answers. With this film, she offers something rarer—a mirror. One that doesn’t flatter, but reflects.

Materialists is now playing in theaters. Whether you walk away inspired or unsettled, one thing is certain. It will make you think.