New York City has been the quintessential backdrop for the romance genre for decades, and it’s obvious why. The city is a cultural symbol of the American Dream, the land of opportunity and personal reinvention. In her feature directorial debut, Past Lives (2023), filmmaker Celine Song stunned audiences with her ability to re-contextualize the romance genre through a unique story based on her own life experiences. While the love triangle between the three leads of Past Lives remained a dramatic throughline, its existence served more as a jumping-off point to explore the narrative’s inherent themes of diaspora, In-Yun, and cultural differences between the East and West.
In her sophomore film and latest collaboration with A24, Materialists (2025), writer-director Celine Song returns to the backdrop of New York City. However, this time she explores something much more universal: the cold and sterile connections between the modern dating scene and social economics. Based on Song’s experiences working as a personal matchmaker herself, she likens matchmaking to being a therapist. Every late twenty to forty-something is looking for a partner to share their lives with, and yet no one is ever truly connecting.
A Classic Love Triangle Sets the Stage for a Critique of Today’s Dating World
Materialists centers on Lucy (Dakota Johnson), an ambitious New York City matchmaker who has recently set up nine different clients with “the loves of their lives,” or at least, people they have chosen to marry. At a recent client’s wedding, we see Lucy in action. Weddings are the perfect place to meet singles interested in her line of work, and we watch as she efficiently passes her company’s name around. Lucy excels at her job because she believes in her clients’ ability to find love, even if it means being more realistic than their self-imposed high standards. While her approach to discussing people’s traits may seem cold and mathematical, it’s all in service of playing the game successfully.
Lucy soon catches the interest of the groom’s brother, Harry Castillo (Pedro Pascal), a “unicorn” in matchmaking terms. A billionaire, approximately six feet tall with a good hairline, Harry’s got all the traits Lucy’s clients desire most. He’s a statistical improbability who has direct interest in her. That same night, at the singles’ table, Lucy is reunited with her imperfect ex-boyfriend, John (Chris Evans), who is broke and down on his luck. John asks to reconnect with her after he’s done waiting tables. As she struggles to find a suitable match for her current client, Sophie (Zoë Winters), Lucy is torn between following her heart and pursuing a relationship with John, or what she believes she deserves with Harry.
Celine Song’s Portrayal of New York is steeped in the Past and Present
Past Lives has been universally regarded as a modern classic amongst critics and cinephiles, yet Materialists has faced extreme cynicism in the lead-up to its release. Perhaps the nostalgic marketing campaign is to blame, which promises a Nora Ephron-like rom-com throwback. Celine Song references Ephron’s romantic comedy work in the movie, especially during the hilarious When Harry Met Sally-esque interviews with Lucy’s clients, but this never weighs into pastiche territory. Or, maybe it was this specific combination of A-list talent that hasn’t made a good first impression. Despite the online negativity, Materialists is a worthy follow-up to Past Lives. Moreover, it is one of the best sophomore outings from a promising filmmaker of Song’s calibre.
Courtesy of A24
By the end of its two-hour runtime, Materialists steals your heart. Celine Song’s portrayal of New York is full of contradictions. Characters walking underneath towering skyscrapers of the concrete jungle evoke a melancholic, lonely feeling that’s immediately contrasted with their small gestures of pure longing. Song’s protagonists engage in philosophical discussions about the nature of marriage as a business venture, the challenges of experiencing genuine intimacy in the dating economy, and why pursuing love is ultimately worthwhile. Although dense, Song’s script values the importance of showing rather than telling; her characters grow beyond their archetypes, and the spark that forms in the film’s central romance feels incredibly earned.
Chris Evans and Zoë Winters Run Away with Materialists
Materialists is slow, but thoughtfully paced to ensure each moment of connection lands with earth-shattering passion. Many pieces of dialogue about love and yearning could eventually become canonized and celebrated by moviegoers for years to come, and that is also credited to the career-best performances from this entire cast. Dakota Johnson (The 50 Shades trilogy, Madame Web) and Pedro Pascal (HBO’s The Last of Us, The Fantastic Four: First Steps) turn in amazing and nuanced character work. Yet, it’s former Captain America star Chris Evans and Zoë Winters (Succession) who especially impress.
Courtesy of A24
Chris Evans is somewhat playing into familiar tropes as a handsome and charming love interest. But when peeling back that exterior, he taps into an understated amount of melancholy and quiet loyalty as John. Even though she’s not part of the main love triangle, Zoë Winters’ portrayal of Sophie, a woman who continues to believe she deserves love, effectively ties together the film’s themes. Despite the fear of rejection or the humility of putting yourself out there, allowing ourselves to be open to love is one of the bravest things we can do. In that sense, John and Sophie are the true emotional cores of Materialists. Thankfully, Evans and Winters brought the vulnerability their roles needed and then some.
The Movie Speaks to the Lonely, Modern Human Experience
There are far too few romantic movies being made right now, and even fewer that contain the same level of craftsmanship, sensitivity, and perspective as a Celine Song picture. Perhaps for that reason, I am especially warm to Materialists. However, there is a universality to this story that I know will definitely connect with younger generations. Bright-eyed souls who are entering the adult world and experiencing their dating woes and yearnings for companionship.
Just as Past Lives has touched the hearts of many before it, Materialists will serve as a beautiful cinematic reminder that our antiquated, Pride and Prejudice-inspired views on courtship and dating remain part of our culture, but the impossible standards and expectations we impose on ourselves and others will only lead to isolation. True love, for as inexplicable and unobtainable as it appears to be sometimes, transcends all BMI, income rankings, and material possessions. You simply have to be vulnerable enough to let it happen to you. Thanks to its deep and nuanced understanding of romance and human nature, Materialists stands out as one of the best movies of 2025 so far.
Materialists hits theaters on June 13!
Release Date: June 13, 2025.
Directed by Celine Song.
Written by Celine Song.
Produced by Celine Song, David Hinojosa, Christine Vachon, & Pamela Koffler.
Executive Producers: Timo Argillander, Len Blavatnik, Len Blavatnik, Len Blavatnik, & Len Blavatnik.
Main Cast: Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal, Zoë Winters, Marin Ireland, Dasha Nekrasova, Louisa Jacobson, Sawyer Spielberg, Eddie Cahill, Joseph Lee, & John Magaro.
Cinematographer: Shabier Kirchner.
Composer: Daniel Pemberton.
Production Companies: 2AM & Killer Films.
Distributors: A24 (U.S.) & Sony Pictures Releasing International.
Runtime: 117 minutes.
Rated R.
