Celine Song’s follow-up to Past Lives is a glossy, modern romance that puts New York dating culture under a microscope—then drops a love triangle right in the middle of it. Materialists centers on Lucy, a successful matchmaker whose professional certainty gets rattled when her love life becomes the kind of complicated “case” she’s used to solving for other people.
The movie is anchored by a starry trio—Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal—supported by a strong ensemble of character actors who fill out Lucy’s world of clients, coworkers, and romantic chaos.
Dakota Johnson as Lucy
Johnson plays Lucy, a former actress turned high-performing New York City matchmaker. She’s good at reading people, packaging compatibility, and selling romance as a set of choices—but the film pressures her to confront what happens when feelings don’t fit into a clean formula.
Lucy is also the story’s hinge: every major relationship in Materialists reflects a different version of what love can mean when status, security, and desire are all in play.
Chris Evans as John
Evans plays John, Lucy’s ex, described as endearing but flawed, and very much the “history” she hasn’t fully processed. The dynamic isn’t just about nostalgia; it’s about the emotional gravity of someone who knows you before you became the polished version of yourself.
In the film’s triangle, John represents the imperfect option: messier, more vulnerable, and harder to justify on paper—especially when compared with the “perfect match” standing across the room.
Pedro Pascal as Harry
Pascal plays Harry, Lucy’s wealthy new suitor—the kind of person who, from a matchmaker’s perspective, seems almost too ideal to be real. In the story’s framing, Harry offers comfort, stability, and the seductive ease of a life that looks solved.
But Materialists isn’t simply pushing “rich equals bad.” The tension comes from how convincingly Harry fits Lucy’s curated world—and how that fit collides with what Lucy actually wants when nobody’s watching.
The supporting cast fills out Lucy’s world
Beyond the lead trio, the film builds its dating-and-matchmaking ecosystem with a lineup of familiar faces:
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Zoë Winters as Sophie
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Marin Ireland as Violet
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Dasha Nekrasova as Daisy
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Louisa Jacobson as Charlotte
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Eddie Cahill as Robert
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Joseph Lee as Trevor
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John Magaro as Mark P.
This ensemble matters because the movie isn’t only about Lucy’s love life—it’s also about the transactional language of modern dating, where people describe partners like “requirements,” “value,” and “trade-offs.” Those side characters let the film show that mindset in action, not just talk about it.
Why does this cast work for this story
Song has described wanting to explore modern dating with a sharper, more specific lens than a traditional rom-com.
That requires performers who can sell charm and chemistry, but also let discomfort show through—because the movie’s core question isn’t “Who will she choose?” so much as “What does she think she should choose, and why?”
That’s where the trio clicks: Johnson brings controlled intelligence to Lucy, Evans supplies the pull of familiarity and unfinished business, and Pascal embodies the magnetism of a seemingly “complete” life.
