We don’t get as many straightforward romances as we once did. Rom-coms are still thriving on streaming and with the occasional theatrical release, but flat-out romance films have become a rarity. Sure, every once in a while we’ll get a Portrait of a Lady on Fire, an If Beale Street Could Talk, or a God’s Own Country, but those are few and far between. However, writer-director Celine Song has certainly done her part to keep the genre thriving, as her debut, Past Lives, was the best film of 2023, earning Song an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture (although it deserved far more). Past Lives was a beautiful story of the love that could’ve been, the love we have in the present, and how the past, present, and future are all interconnected. But her second feature, Materialists, feels much more in line with the types of big-screen romances we might’ve seen back when the genre was thriving in the ’90s and early 2000s, a charming love story where it’s just a joy to watch three of the biggest actors of the day falling in and out of love. Even the trailers for Materialists make it look like a film from an earlier period; all that’s missing is a delightful needle drop of a song from The Cranberries. But instead, what Song has done is make an excellent version of those types of romance films from yesteryear, yet one where these characters have depth, layers, and are more considered than we might have received in those films. In doing so, Song has made yet another modern romantic classic that shows just how much love and beauty can still exist in the genre.
What Is ‘Materialists’ About?

Dakota Johnson stars as Lucy, a matchmaker who is celebrating her ninth successful match that has led to marriage. While at the wedding, she meets the groom’s brother, Harry (Pedro Pascal), a wealthy, handsome man in finance who is more interested in Lucy than in signing up for her matchmaking services. As the two get to know each other, Lucy also runs into John (Chris Evans), her former boyfriend of five years, a broke aspiring actor who is working a catering gig at the wedding. Lucy often says that marriage is a business deal, and she often calls relationships a type of transaction, as her work basically has her boiling people down to a math problem to see if the two halves will fit. Yet while she’s great at matching other people together, she has to decide for herself if she wants to move forward with the rich new prospect or the man she has a history with, who didn’t work out before. This might all sound like the set-up for a classic love triangle story, and in some ways it very much is, but as anyone who’s seen Past Lives knows, Song elevates this type of romance into something much greater than what we’re used to with these types of stories. As with Past Lives, Materialists is fantastic at finding a perfect balance between these three characters, never making anyone out to be a villain or a “bad choice” in the way we might expect. When watching Materialists, it’s easy to see that any choice Lucy makes could be the right one in some ways, and it’s clever in how it constantly keeps us on our toes.
‘Materialists’ Fleshes Out the Characters Central to This Excellent Love Triangle Story

Image via A24

Song’s screenplay is also smart in how it handles the three characters at the center of this story. They might sometimes come close to the clichés we might expect, but then swerve away to bring to life characters that have more pathos and heart, as the film takes its time to build these elements. For example, Lucy does often consider the finances of the men she’s interested in, but it never feels shallow, or that her decision is focused solely on their monetary value. In one flashback, we see the trouble that money caused in her previous relationship with John, so it makes sense that this would be a major discussion point for her in starting a new relationship. Song’s script also ensures that this isn’t just a “rich guy vs. poor guy” scenario. In a lesser film, Harry’s wealth might have been counterbalanced with a personality that’s cold and not open to what Lucy needs. But on the contrary, Song takes care to make sure that isn’t the case, as we get several scenes of this pair just getting to know each other. We watch them on their first date, as they get closer and start to fall for each other, in scenes that go on for surprisingly long at times. Lucy often says Harry is an “impossible fantasy” of a man, and Song never dissuades her audience from this being the case. Similarly, John isn’t treated the way that a man still trying to find his way in his 30s can often be presented. He’s not lazy, he hasn’t wasted his time, he’s just doing his best and trying to achieve his dreams if he still can. Even though we’ve seen the types of moments that broke John and Lucy up, there’s a very deep understanding and love that these two have for each other that even a unicorn like Harry might not be able to get past.

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It’s also impressive that Song doesn’t make this into only a movie about three incredibly attractive people potentially getting together, but also looks at the pitfalls and difficulties of modern dating. This is especially the case with one of Lucy’s clients, Sophie (Zoe Winters), who has gone on many first dates, yet can’t find “the one” for her. At first, she might seem like she’s asking for too much in what she’s looking for, but Song’s film goes much deeper with this character, and doesn’t shy away from the horrors of dating and the struggle of letting a stranger into your life. And while Materialists does poke fun at the ridiculous laundry list of requirements so many people look for when trying to find the perfect partner, it also shows that basically what everyone wants is someone, and in particular, someone who makes you feel valuable in their eyes.
Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal Are Fantastic in ‘Materialists’

Materialists wouldn’t be nearly as successful without these three leads. Johnson has done her fair share of romance films of varying quality, but this is her finest work in the genre so far. She’s both realistic and slightly pessimistic about her odds of finding love, but never defeatist or ready to put up walls to close love off from entering her life. She’s the key here, as we have to believe and understand why she would fall for both of these men, and it’s a part she nails beautifully. We want her to find love and have everything she wants, even if she does boil love down to an equation that needs to be solved. The two men in her life also give equally great performances. Pascal has a very interesting part to play, being presented as perfection personified, yet he still has to show vulnerability and confidence in equal measure. Pascal is charming and exactly what you’d want from a romantic lead in what might be his best film performance yet. But a real standout here is Evans’ John. As the former flame, we can see the love that still exists in his eyes every time he sees Lucy. Evans is heartbreaking in the way he handles walking into a room where Lucy is dancing with Harry, or just how he reacts when he hears Harry’s name, a dagger right to his heart, reminding him of what he’s lost. Evans is also giving one of his finest performances, often saying so much with just a melancholic look or the way he perks up whenever he sees Lucy. But both Pascal and Evans are so excellent here that we inherently understand the difficulty Lucy would have in deciding which of these two men she’d want to pursue. This is also just an incredible piece from Song, who is taking the skeleton of romance films we’ve seen in the past and expanding on it in tremendous ways. It’s like she’s taken a good ’90s romance, fleshed out the characters, story, and truths about modern dating, and turned it into something mesmerizing. It’s the type of film that can make you feel the sweeping power of new love, and the heartbreak of starting to lose the one you love, often within the same scene. Song knows exactly how to present these characters and equally balance all of these dynamics, along with editor Keith Fraase (who also edited Past Lives), to make Lucy’s decision even more difficult. It’s an impressive feat of romance filmmaking, one that can make your heart soar and sink. Song proves that no one can tell a modern, complicated love story quite like her, and her handling of difficult, complex relationships is absolutely stunning and impressive. Between Materialists and Past Lives, Song might just be the most impressive writer and director of modern love stories working today. Materialists is an outstanding entry into the romance movie canon, and the type of sweeping love story we could use more of in movies. Materialists comes to theaters on June 13.

Materialists

Materialists is another excellent romance from Celine Song, led by a tremendous cast including Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, and Chris Evans.

Release Date

June 25, 2025

Director

Celine Song

Writers

Celine Song

Producers

Christine Vachon, Pamela Koffler

Pros & Cons

Celina Song creates a romance that could’ve easily fallen into cliche, and instead, fleshes this love story out beautifully.
Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal are all giving some of their best performances yet.
Song balances this love triangle perfectly, in a very naturalistic and honest look at modern love.