The Materialists is finally out, and we can’t contain our excitement about seeing Pedro Pascal, Chris Evans, and especially Dakota Johnson on the big screen. But what you probably didn’t know is that this love triangle story is actually based on real-life experiences of the film’s director, Celine Song.
The Materialists is a romantic comedy that blends the glamour of New York City with a sharp critique of love as a transactional act. Directed by Celine Song, the film follows Lucy (played by Dakota Johnson), an elite matchmaker who crafts relationships for millionaires but begins to question her own beliefs when she gets caught in a love triangle with Harry (Pedro Pascal) and John (Chris Evans).
And while we’re not here to spoil anything, there is one real-life story you should know before watching the film.
The True Story That Inspired The Materialists
Yes, The Materialists is inspired by a true story. And although it’s not entirely autobiographical, director and screenwriter Celine Song drew heavily from her own experiences working as a matchmaker in New York City during her twenties.
What began as a temporary gig while she was trying to break into theater writing turned into a revealing journey into the world of human connection, love, and social dynamics. Song has said she learned more about people in those six months than in any other period of her life.
While the love triangle between Lucy, Harry, and John is fictional, certain moments in the film are directly inspired by her personal experiences. For example, a courthouse wedding scene is based on Celine Song’s real-life civil ceremony with her husband, screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes.
Additionally, Lucy’s dilemma — choosing between a creative career or a stable, entertaining job — reflects Song’s own inner conflict during that time in her life.
What The Materialists takes from reality is a critical and emotionally complex look at modern love. The film explores how money, status, and societal expectations shape romantic relationships — something Song witnessed up close in her matchmaking work.
In her own words, love can be simple, but it becomes difficult when fear gets in the way of fully giving yourself to someone. That tension between the romantic and the pragmatic is at the heart of the film — and of the experience that inspired it.
