Director Celine Song Releases Film Exploring Commodified Modern Love

Celine Song's new film Materialists, starring Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, and Chris Evans, explores modern love through the lens of a high-end New York matchmaker named Lucy who grapples with clients' transactional demands for wealth and status in relationships. Drawing from Song's own experience as a professional matchmaker, the film critiques how contemporary dating often commodifies love, contrasting emotional truth with material value. Lucy's romantic dilemma between a wealthy financier and a struggling ex highlights the tension between societal expectations and authentic connection. Song emphasizes that love is mysterious and cannot be reduced to market-like calculations, a theme reflected in the characters' navigation of social and emotional complexities. The film serves as a psychological and cultural commentary on how love is understood and sought in an era dominated by social media and economic considerations. Both Song and Johnson describe the project as deeply personal, with casting and storytelling grounded in genuine emotional resonance rather than formulaic choices.