Materialists (2025) – Celine Song’s Sophisticated Take on Love, Wealth, and Worth
Introduction
Celine Song, the visionary director behind the Oscar-nominated Past Lives, returns with her sophomore feature, Materialists (2025). With this film, Song explores the intersection of love and money in the modern dating world through an emotionally intelligent and satirically sharp narrative. Featuring powerhouse performances from Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, and Chris Evans, Materialists is not just a rom-com — it's a reflection of our algorithm-obsessed, hyper-capitalist world where dating often feels like commerce and emotions are treated like assets.
The film dives deep into contemporary relationship dynamics, class disparity, and emotional vulnerability, all wrapped in a stylish, fast-paced, dialogue-driven aesthetic. It questions the commodification of love and whether compatibility is something that can be quantified, or whether it lies beyond logic — in irrational human connection.
Plot Summary
Set in bustling New York City, Materialists follows Lucy (Dakota Johnson), a highly sought-after matchmaker who caters to the city’s elite. She’s polished, pragmatic, and an expert at pairing people based on status, appearance, ambition, and compatibility scores. Lucy’s business is booming, and she’s praised for making "perfect matches" for powerful people. But beneath her controlled surface, Lucy is struggling with her own feelings about love — a topic she approaches like an algorithm rather than an emotion.
Lucy’s world is turned upside down when she meets Harry (Pedro Pascal), a charming billionaire investor who checks every box: wealth, charisma, intelligence, and power. Their budding romance is seamless — on paper. Meanwhile, her path crosses again with John (Chris Evans), her ex-boyfriend, who now works as a struggling playwright and bookstore manager. John represents everything Lucy’s current world rejects: vulnerability, financial instability, emotional openness, and artistic idealism.
As Lucy juggles these two men, she is forced to confront a deeper question: What is love actually worth in a world obsessed with valuation? Is love a transaction, or is it a leap of faith?
Character Analysis
Lucy – Played by Dakota Johnson
Dakota Johnson shines in this role, bringing depth and complexity to Lucy. On the surface, she’s stylish and emotionally restrained, but internally, she battles unresolved feelings about self-worth and intimacy. Lucy's ability to match others is rooted in her fear of confronting her own emotional limitations. Johnson delivers her best performance to date — subtle, layered, and deeply human.
Harry – Played by Pedro Pascal
Pedro Pascal plays Harry with effortless charm. He is a man who has everything — yet his relationships feel transactional. His scenes with Lucy are filled with tension, chemistry, and subtext. While he represents security, he also embodies the very materialism Lucy must confront. Pascal infuses Harry with a mix of allure and arrogance, creating a character who is both seductive and symbolic.
John – Played by Chris Evans
Chris Evans brings emotional weight to the role of John, Lucy’s former flame who lives a quieter life. He’s soft-spoken, sincere, and driven by emotional truth rather than ambition. John's reappearance in Lucy’s life represents a rupture in her carefully controlled narrative. Evans offers a grounded, heartfelt performance that counterbalances the excess of Lucy's high-society world.
Direction and Writing
Celine Song’s direction is confident and emotionally intricate. Her screenplay is sharp, philosophical, and occasionally satirical. As she did in Past Lives, Song again examines the tension between personal desire and social expectation. In Materialists, however, she adds a layer of wit and irony, drawing on her real-life experience as a professional matchmaker to explore how data-driven relationships have distorted our understanding of love.
Song constructs a world where every detail — from lighting to costume design — reflects the film’s themes. The elite spaces Lucy moves through are cold, pristine, and perfectly curated, while John’s world is messy, warm, and chaotic. The contrast between these spaces visually illustrates Lucy’s inner conflict.
Major Themes
1. Love vs. Capitalism
At its core, Materialists is a critique of how modern dating has become commodified. Lucy’s entire career is based on creating “marketable” love. Clients are filtered by income, height, profession, and social status. Through her journey, the film questions: When we try to optimize love, do we strip it of its soul?
2. Emotional Vulnerability
The film portrays emotional vulnerability not as weakness but as bravery. John’s character, in particular, emphasizes that real connection requires risk, honesty, and discomfort. Lucy’s reluctance to be vulnerable becomes the central obstacle in her arc.
3. Identity and Self-Worth
Lucy’s attachment to wealth and image is rooted in her own insecurity. She believes love must be earned, not given freely. Her transformation is a powerful commentary on how self-worth is often mistaken for net worth.
4. Algorithmic Love
Song satirizes the modern obsession with dating apps and compatibility algorithms. By placing Lucy as a matchmaker who believes in quantifying love, she questions whether love can ever truly be measured. The film suggests that no matter how much data we gather, the human heart remains unpredictable.
Dialogue and Tone
The screenplay sparkles with intelligent, witty, and introspective dialogue. There are no wasted lines — every conversation adds texture to the characters or the themes. The tone balances between light satire and emotional drama, creating a film that is both cerebral and heartfelt.
Cinematography and Aesthetics
The cinematography, led by Chung Chung-hoon, is stunning. From New York’s ultra-modern lofts to dimly lit bookstores, the camera work reinforces the emotional undertones. Clean, symmetrical frames in the first half reflect Lucy’s rigid control, while the second half embraces a warmer, handheld style as she begins to unravel.
Costume design also plays a crucial role. Lucy's wardrobe evolves throughout the film — from structured, monotone power outfits to softer, more personal clothing — mirroring her emotional journey.
Soundtrack
The score by Daniel Pemberton adds depth and texture to the film’s emotional beats. Featuring original songs from Japanese Breakfast and Baby Rose, the soundtrack beautifully underscores moments of longing, transformation, and internal conflict. The music transitions from electronic minimalism in scenes with Harry to acoustic, intimate tones in scenes with John — subtly enhancing the emotional contrast.
Symbolism and Subtext
Song weaves subtle symbolism throughout the film. Mirrors appear often, signifying Lucy’s self-reflection. A recurring motif of locked doors metaphorically reflects her guarded emotional state. In one powerful scene, Lucy removes all the expensive paintings from her walls, symbolizing a rejection of curated identity.
Even the title, Materialists, is layered — referring not just to characters obsessed with wealth, but also those who struggle to believe in what cannot be measured or proven.
Reception and Cultural Impact
Materialists debuted at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim, with standing ovations and instant Oscar buzz. Critics praised Song’s fearless writing and Johnson’s career-best performance. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 94% score, with praise for its originality, intelligence, and emotional honesty.
The film has sparked conversations about class, emotional labor, and dating culture, especially among millennials and Gen Z audiences. On social media, quotes from the film have gone viral, particularly Lucy’s monologue: “I know what people want. They want love that looks good in pictures.”
Why This Film Matters
In an era where most rom-coms rely on clichés, Materialists dares to be intelligent and emotionally truthful. It doesn't offer neat answers — instead, it asks important questions: How much of our love lives are dictated by social expectations? Can we love without conditions? Do we choose partners based on compatibility or fear?
This film is a breath of fresh air for audiences hungry for substance in romance. It brings sophistication, introspection, and emotional maturity to a genre often dismissed as lightweight. Celine Song cements herself as one of the most important filmmakers of her generation.
Final Verdict
Materialists is more than just a film — it’s a mirror held up to society, urging us to question how we define love, value, and success. With a brilliant script, stellar performances, and exquisite direction, it stands out as one of the best films of 2025. It is stylish yet sincere, satirical yet heartfelt, and philosophical without losing its emotional core.
Should You Watch It?
- Yes – if you enjoy intelligent, character-driven romances.
- Yes – if you're tired of formulaic love stories and want something real and thought-provoking.
- No – if you prefer conventional rom-coms or dislike introspective narratives.
Conclusion
Materialists by Celine Song is a beautifully layered film that explores love in the era of hyper-modernity. It speaks to anyone who’s ever tried to make sense of emotions in a world that commodifies everything. With remarkable acting, gorgeous visuals, and thought-provoking ideas, it’s a film that lingers in the mind and stirs the heart.
Whether you’re a fan of indie cinema or simply curious about the evolving language of love in a digital world, Materialists is a must-watch — and a must-discuss.
