MATERIALISTS is a 2025 romantic comedy/drama written and directed by Celine Song. The film stars Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal. Set against the backdrop of New York City’s luxury-driven dating culture, it follows a love triangle among a matchmaker, her aspiring actor ex-boyfriend, and a charming millionaire.
Produced by Killer Films and 2AM, the film was released in the United States by A24 on June 13, 2025, and now appears on HBO and HBO Max. It clocks in at 117 minutes, and filming primarily took place in the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. The neighborhoods include Sunset Park, Brooklyn Heights, and the West Village. We have failed actress turned successful matchmaker Lucy Mason (Johnson), who works at Adore, a matchmaking company in New York City. An “eternal bachelorette,” she maintains she will either die alone or marry someone wealthy.
At the wedding of one of her clients, she meets that someone wealthy, Harry Castillo (Pascal), but also her ex-boyfriend, John Pitts (Evans). Here is her chance to be wooed by a rich guy. What does she do? Well, she deals with a client, Sophie (Zoë Winters), who had an awful experience with her matched date. Lucy’s confidence is shaken when her boss, Violet (Marin Ireland), informs her that Sophie is suing Adore because the man assaulted her after the date. Violet tells Lucy that the situation was out of her hands, orders her to take four weeks off to clear her mind, and instructs her not to contact Sophie due to the lawsuit. Despite Violet’s warning, Lucy tracks Sophie down and personally apologizes. Sophie angrily rejects the apology, calling her a “pimp” who was looking to pawn off a problem client on any man she could, regardless of the consequences. She storms off, further increasing Lucy’s guilt.
All this slows down Lucy’s progress in making a solid match for herself. Though she has taken trips with Harry, she has also kissed John rather warmly. What does she want? Who does she want? Yes, it looks at the age-old question of whether we should marry for wealth or for love, but it does so quite nicely, it seems.
