In “Materialists,” scheduled to premiere on July 2, 2025, Celine Song presents a romantic comedy that defies all expectations. With a star-studded cast — Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, Chris Evans — and a familiar setting in New York, the film initially seemed to meet all the requirements of a traditional romantic comedy. However, it quickly becomes clear that it is something more: an audacious and realistic work where money and romance coexist without taboos.
Love, Numbers and Capitalism
Lucy, subtly portrayed by Dakota Johnson, is a professional matchmaker at a high-end dating agency. Her job? To connect single people based on criteria that are sometimes as precise as they are unyielding: height, weight, occupation, annual income. She, who has already arranged nine marriages, has never managed to make love last in her own life.
Everything changes when she meets Harry, a wealthy and attentive investor (Pedro Pascal, outstanding in this unusual role). However, the sudden arrival of her ex-boyfriend, John – Chris Evans, playing a subtle role – complicates the situation. On one side, financial security; on the other, a sincere love, but without money.
A heroine accused of being “venal”
When directly questioning the role of money in romantic relationships, “Materialists” exposes itself to a familiar reaction, especially when it comes to women:
She wants your money.
However, Celine Song never falls into caricature. Lucy is not a “gold digger.” She is a pragmatic woman, shaped by a past in which material insecurity dictated all her choices. Seeking comfort here is not a matter of greed, but of a deep desire for stability.
This clear-eyed look at the economic dynamics of contemporary couples is disturbing. By exposing the commercialization of relationships and the obsession with appearances in dating agencies, she highlights a reality often left unspoken.
Romanticism without illusion
Far from being a cold pamphlet, “Materialists” is also a love story. And not just any love story. Celine Song infuses genuine tenderness into her characters. Love is complex, fragile, and deeply human. While John lives in a hopeless shared apartment, drives a shaky car, and struggles to survive on his acting career, he embodies that undefined and impossible-to- monetize bond that Lucy can’t forget.
In the middle of the film, a tragic event interrupts the narrative, serving as a clear reminder that life never follows the straight lines of classic stories. This twist shakes the viewer, comfortably nestled in a love triangle. The director, already acclaimed for Past Lives, admits:
This movie is not light. It is romantic, yes. But romance is not ignoring reality.
A blow against sexist prejudices
“Materialists” also criticizes the way the romantic comedy genre is perceived. For a long time, it has been relegated to “women’s movies,” marginalized, ridiculed, and considered low-importance entertainment. For Celine Song, this condescension is not only sexist but absurd.
Love makes everyone stupid, even the brightest people. Maybe that’s why it’s scary,
analyze her.
And if “Materialists” is so influential, it’s also because it places love back in its proper place: at the center of our human concerns, far from sugary clichés, but without giving up the beauty of the feeling.
A resolutely modern work
Between social satire and romantic drama, “Materialists” refuses to choose. And that is what makes it such a surprising and necessary film. By embracing the weight of money in the search for love, Céline Song presents an unyielding but deeply empathetic mirror of our times.
A heroine accused of “holding a grudge against money” thus becomes the embodiment of our contradictions. For behind this phrase lies a fear: the fear of acknowledging that our romantic choices are never entirely disconnected from the material world. And that love, when it dares to face reality, is not any less true for that.
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