A24 has released the newest trailer for Celine Song‘s “Materialists.” The romantic comedy, written and directed by Song, stars Dakota Johnson has a matchmaker who has successfully gotten nine of her clients married but is still unable to find her perfect match. She finds a possible suitor (Pedro Pascal) in the unlikeliest of places but also happens to run into her imperfect ex (Chris Evans).
The trailer itself sees Lucy (Johnson) as a driven young woman who can find matches based on a client’s demanding criteria. Shot in New York, Lucy meets an assortment of people, some of whom are desperate for love. “I promise you are going to meet the love of your life, she assures a client.
Played against a cover of Madonna’s “Material Girl,” the trailer also teases beautiful weddings and plenty of love, while also giving us insight into how successful Lucy is as a matchmaker. She’s responsible for nine weddings. “If the girl asks for a tall drink of water with a salary over five hundred grand. You deliver,” she says. It’s at that moment during the dialogue that we see Randy (Pascal) take an empty chair at a wedding, grab the name card and then charmingly toss it over his shoulder and introduce himself to her.
Randy asks if she wants a drink and Lucy tells him her “Coke and beer” order. And just like magic – that perfect ding when she says it is so good – her drink appears and was given by none other than her ex, John (Evans).
Either of them expected to run into each other that night. While Lucy admits to missing him, he responds that she doesn’t even remember his face. Thats when she uses her fingers, with a cigarette in between two, to trace it as if she never forgot.
As the enteral bachelorette, Lucy feels as though Randy could do better than her. However, Randy feels as though she found the one. Giant rose bouquets and long gazes into each other’s eyes seem to indicate that the relationship is there and its real. She even calls Randy a unicorn – an impossible fantasy.
The trailer than teases a conversation between Lucy and John. The latter explains that she can’t marry John because he’s good-looking and rich – although this could be about someone else considering the way the trailer is cut. He goes on to say that Randy probably doesn’t have roommates – the trailer than cuts to John’s own problems sharing space with a roommate.
“When I see your face, I see wrinkles and children who look like you,” John says. “So where does that leave us?”
“We promise them love, but the math doesn’t add up,” Lucy adds.
“Why does anyone even get married,” John asks.
“Because they’re lonely,” Lucy responds. “And because their hopeful.”
“Materialists” is Song’s follow up to her “Past Lives” debut. The film went on to be nominated for two Academy Awards, Best Picture and Best Screenplay. Though the film came out empty handed, and deserved a lot more than it was nominated for, it put Song on the map as a director and writer. The weepy semi-autobiographical film followed two childhood friends over the course of 24 years as they contemplate the nature of their relationship.
“Materialists” opens in theaters on June 13, 2025.
