In the film’s trailer, we see Dakota’s character Lucy celebrate the 9th marriage that resulted from her matchmaking efforts. Her own love life is more confusing, though, when it is revealed that while she has met her “perfect match” in the form of a rich bachelor, she may still be harbouring a connection with her ex who is waiting tables in anticipation of a big acting break.

Celine Song is a genius when it comes to expressing the nuances of romance, but we predict Materialists is about your “perfect match” versus who you are instinctively meant for.

In an interview with the New York Times, she explained that just like Dakota’s character, she worked as a matchmaker in her 20s. What Dakota’s Lucy must decide is whether she wants to prioritise the “materialist” things in life, with a wealthy love match, or go back to her ex of five years who she clearly shared a passionate relationship with.

It’s very much about the relationship between love and money, and the inevitable connection between the two. Song is also determined to challenge the way romcoms can be dismissed.

Atsushi Nishijima

“When we see trailers for a movie like this, people just start calling it a chick flick — there’s a very easy way that you can dismiss it,” she said. “I’m really interested in directly addressing the way that we completely dismiss matters of the heart…

“It’s a genre where every single person can walk into it and feel connected. You must relate because love is a drama that you are in. You cannot go through life without any relationship to love whatsoever.”

She has also argued that the decline of romcoms “diminish the role of an actress”. “Think about the superstar actresses of that time where romantic comedies ruled, like Julia Roberts, Sandra Bullock. They themselves had power alone — it didn’t matter who the male leads were, the audience would show up for it.”

Materialists cast

Joining Dakota, Pedro and Chris will be Succession star Zoë Winters, Dasha Nekrasova (Bad Behaviour), Louisa Jacobson (The Gilded Age) and Marin Ireland (Eileen).

Materialists trailer

A trailer has dropped, and we are obsessed. Will Dakota’s Lucy opt for a fairytale romance with her wealthy perfect match or a messier, chemistry-filled dalliance with her gorgeous ex? We cannot wait to find out.