Movie Recommendation: “Materialists”

The Materialists is the latest film written and directed by Celine Song, best known for her acclaimed debut Past Lives (2023). This time, Song takes a bold turn in tone to explore a sharp and elegant question: how much is love shaped by money?

Set in modern-day New York, the story centers on Lucy (Dakota Johnson), a charming, pragmatic woman who knows exactly how much wealth and status can shape romantic relationships. She’s built a luxurious life for herself—one designed to attract a financially secure partner—but everything starts to unravel when her idealistic ex-boyfriend John (Chris Evans), a struggling actor, reappears. The triangle is completed by Harry (Pedro Pascal), a wealthy man who seems to embody everything Lucy has chosen as a strategy for life.

While the film technically falls within the romantic comedy genre, it does so with a highly stylized, almost theatrical tone. There are no easy morals or tidy conclusions here. Love isn’t portrayed as a magical accident, but rather as a conscious decision tangled up in desires, fears, and ambitions. Without giving too much away, Materialists raises essential questions:

Can we separate what we feel from what we need?

Is it wrong to consider money when choosing a partner?

Can love survive on dreams alone?

Song doesn’t pass judgment—she simply observes, and she does so with wit, irony, and a pace that grabs you from the very start. Days after watching, the film lingers—not because of what it tells you, but because of what it makes you question.

A stylish, thought-provoking film about love, modern relationships, and the values we quietly live by.