Lucy is a New York matchmaker who treats love like a business. She is courted by a wealthy man who seems perfect on paper, while her broke ex-boyfriend shows up at a wedding she arranged. Song asks what you are really looking for in a partner. Watch how clothing and money show who each person is.
Materialists is a 2025 romance, comedy and drama film directed by Celine Song. This breakdown covers 5 techniques (2 narrative, 2 cinematography and 1 psychology), each with the scene where you can see it. If you like how it is made, Sense and Sensibility uses several of the same techniques.
Building a love story around 3 people, where each pair has its own relationship and the third person always gets in the way. Your sympathy shifts because each of them has a fair claim.
How this film uses it
Lucy, Harry and John each have their own relationship with each other. Harry is the polished choice, and John is the old flame who still knows her best. Your sympathies move back and forth because each man has a fair claim.
Where to see it
The wedding reception. Lucy turns down Harry's interest and suggests he become a client, while her ex John works the party as a caterer.
Designing wardrobes that carry character, status or change as much as the acting does. Clothes tell you who someone is or has become before they speak.
How this film uses it
Harry's clothes are luxury brands, John's are cheaper and Lucy's style shifts depending on who she is dating. You can read class and desire from what a person wears before they say a word.
Where to see it
Lucy's two love interests. Harry dresses in luxury brands, while John's wardrobe is more affordable.
Making money or one necessary possession the force that moves the plot, so every choice is shaped by what characters can afford or keep.
How this film uses it
Every choice is shaped by what the characters can afford. Lucy and John split once because they could not make ends meet. Harry is wealthy enough to pay for expensive surgery to look taller, and Lucy's work is about matching people by their finances.
Where to see it
The gatecrashed wedding. Lucy kisses John, but their old money troubles still divide them.
Centering a character's fear of being unimportant, replaced or left behind. Their pursuit of rank, success or recognition shows how fragile their self-worth is.
How this film uses it
Harry has paid a fortune to change his body because he feels he has to look a certain way to be worth something. Lucy's own work sorts people into matches by what they earn and how they look. The film shows how fragile that sense of worth is.
Where to see it
Harry's surgery. Lucy learns about the $200,000 procedure to make Harry taller.
Shooting on photochemical film stock for a soft, grainy texture. The look adds warmth and a timeless feel to everyday places.
How this film uses it
Cinematographer Shabier Kirchner shot on 35mm film. The soft grain and warm color make New York's apartments, weddings and parks feel a little timeless, as if the romance could belong to any era.
Where to see it
The Central Park proposal. John asks Lucy to marry him with a flower ring, and the film's warm texture fills the frame.
Questions
Materialists: quick answers
What filmmaking techniques does Materialists use?
CineCode breaks down 5 techniques in Materialists (2025): Romantic Triangle Geometry, Costume as Storytelling, Money as Plot Driver, Status and Self-Worth Anxiety and Shooting on Film Stock.
Who directed Materialists?
Celine Song directed Materialists, released in 2025. CineCode also covers Past Lives (2023).
What films are similar to Materialists?
Films that share techniques with Materialists include Sense and Sensibility (1995), Three Colors: White (1994), Foxcatcher (2014), Casablanca (1942).
