Celine Song’s second feature, Materialists, offers a rueful and pointed commentary on love in 2025's luxury-obsessed world. Starring Dakota Johnson as Lucy - a high-end matchmaker torn between penniless ex John (Chris Evans) and wealthy financier Harry (Pedro Pascal) - the film lays bare romance as a transactional game .

The narrative begins with a prehistoric couple, setting an evolutionary frame for mate selection, before settling into modern NYC’s glossy dating scene . Song’s sharp writing and witty dialogue illuminate the absurdities of economic matchmaking - discussing salaries, rent, even BMI - without sacrificing emotional depth .

Critics praise Johnson’s nuanced, minimalist performance, though some feel the film’s pacing falters mid‑plot . Visually sleek and formally inventive, Materialists reinvents rom‑coms with biting wit, theatrical flair, and an emotionally resonant core.

In its bittersweet ending, Song resists a fairy‑tale finale - offering instead a sober reassurance: love in the modern era is never purely sentimental, but maybe that’s its charm.