Materialists (2025) is a romantic drama that explores the complexities of modern dating, personal identity, and money in Manhattan’s dating scene. Written and directed by Celine Song, the film centers around Lucy (Dakota Johnson), a successful matchmaker/dating consultant whose carefully curated world begins to unravel when she finds herself caught between two very different men: Harry (Pedro Pascal), a partner at a private equity firm and the owner of a $12 million Manhattan penthouse, and John (Chris Evans), her idealistic but financially struggling ex.
Lucy sells the dream of true love to her clients. At the ninth wedding resulting from one of her matches, she finds herself seated next to Harry at the reception. Tall, handsome, and charming, Harry immediately takes an interest in her, pursuing Lucy with lavish dinners and his high-status lifestyle. Their romance is disrupted when John reenters her life, working as a caterer at the same wedding. A struggling actor living paycheck to paycheck and splitting rent with roommates, John represents an entirely different kind of love, one grounded in shared history and emotional depth.
Of the two, Harry is clearly the “unicorn,” the most desirable kind of bachelor, at least in Lucy’s eyes. To her, dating functions like a marketplace where a potential partner’s value is measured as much by income as by looks. Personal interests or how someone might treat their partner matter far less. To Lucy, a man like Harry is seen as inherently more valuable than someone like John.
As Lucy navigates this love triangle, the film questions what relationships mean in an era defined by image, ambition, and social capital. Harry and John are both attractive, kind, and attentive, but their contrasting lifestyles force Lucy to confront difficult questions. Should love be practical or passionate? Should a partner provide material security or emotional connection?
Materialists questions the transactional nature of modern romance, asking whether relationships today are driven more by status, wealth, and appearance than by authenticity and vulnerability. Through Lucy’s conversations with clients and her own introspective journey, the film challenges the commodification of dating in a world increasingly shaped by gender expectations and social media.
Ultimately, Materialists encourages viewers to reflect on acts of self-awareness, trust, and emotional connection in relationships, rather than solely on quantifiable traits like income and lifestyle.
