Celine Song exploded onto the scene in 2023 with the release of her debut film, Past Lives. With it, she offered a melancholic glimpse into “what if” possibilities of love and happiness. Fully capturing the complexities and imperfections of human emotion, the film evokes one’s self-examination of their relationships. At its core, the film is about life’s missed opportunities, unresolved love and the haunting idea of fate. With all those themes in play, it makes every screening of Past Lives uniquely personal.
Following a nomination for Best Picture and Original Screenplay, Song’s follow-up quickly became one of the year’s most anticipated releases. Would there be a sophomore slump or would Celine Song once again break my heart and put it back together again? Add in the casting of Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans and it felt as one of the year’s sure fire success.
With Materialists, Celine Song proves that Past Lives was no fluke. Witty, tender, and sharply observant, it’s a love triangle wrapped in luxury and longing. Money may move the world, but emotion still writes the script. Song is officially two for two.
Materialists follows Lucy, a high-end matchmaker navigating New York’s world of wealth and status as she helps the city’s elite find love. When Lucy meets Harry and unexpectedly reconnects with her ex-boyfriend John at a wedding, Lucy becomes entangled in a complicated love triangle that forces her to confront her beliefs about love, power and emotional authenticity.
As with Past Lives, Celine Song’s screenplay explores distinct themes that set her work apart from traditional romantic comedies and dramas. This time, she focuses on dissecting the intersection of emotion and capitalism. Her exploration of how wealth infiltrates romantic connection is fascinating not because it vilifies materialism, but because it reveals the emotional costs of connecting wealth and love.
While the shadow of Past Lives looms over Materialists, it’s never in a negative sense. Though Materialists will be viewed as louder and sleeker in comparison to Song’s more meditative debut, her screenplay continues to reflect a deep fascination with emotional truth. If the Past Lives explored the fate and choices across time, Materialists is about the decisions we make in the moment, driven by fear, convenience, or the instinct to survive.
The strength of Song’s screenplay is amplified by a trio of performances that linger long after the credits roll. Pedro Pascal brings magnetic charm, layered with emotional depth. At times, a single glance suggests volumes beneath the surface, making this one of his most nuanced performances to date. Dakota Johnson is effortlessly cool, feeling tailor made for this world. As the film peels back her character’s layers, Johnson reveals a vulnerability that, while subtle, proves quietly devastating. Chris Evans delivers his most compelling work since leaving the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In a departure from his typical roles, Evans is quietly affecting, embodying emotional openness with striking fragility. His performance stays with you and will leave cinephiles hoping he continues down this path.
Though the spotlight rests on the central trio, Zoë Winters may be the film’s unsung hero. Her performance adds texture to the impact Lucy’s personal life has on her professional circles, all while quietly navigating her own struggle with loneliness and emotional isolation.
Shabier Kirchner’s cinematography captures New York with elegant precision. There’s something special about the city when captured properly on film, and Kirchner’s lens renders it both intimate and, at times, alienating, perfectly reflecting the emotional distance between our trio of characters. Daniel Pemberton’s score is restrained, but effectively stirs the emotion in the film’s most pivotal moments.
Materialists confirms Celine Song as one of the most vital new voices in cinema. She’s crafted a film about how we curate our lives and it’s both a critique and a love story. What Materialists is not, is a sophomore slump and stands as one of 2025’s crowning achievements.
