Celine Song's highly anticipated sophomore feature, "Materialists," has achieved significant success across various platforms, ultimately claiming the top spot on HBO Max's domestic viewership charts. This romantic comedy-drama, which initially enjoyed a quietly successful theatrical run and an extended period of success on PVOD, features an A-list cast including Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal. They star in a compelling love triangle set against the backdrop of modern dating.

"Materialists" marks Song's follow-up to her critically acclaimed and Oscar-nominated romantic drama, "Past Lives," released in 2023. "Past Lives" emerged as a sleeper hit, grossing over $40 million worldwide against a reported budget of $12 million. "Materialists" has continued this trajectory of success, with a reported production cost of $20 million and a global box office gross of nearly $110 million. This impressive performance positions it as the highest-grossing independent film of the year and the third-biggest title distributed by A24, following "Civil War" and "Everything Everywhere All at Once."

The film's triumph has also provided a much-needed boost for its stars, Dakota Johnson and Pedro Pascal, who have recently faced the underperformance of their respective superhero outings, "Madame Web" and "The Fantastic Four: First Steps." "Materialists" opened to largely positive reviews from critics, earning a "certified fresh" score of 78% on Rotten Tomatoes. The critical consensus praises the film as "a mature deconstruction of the conventional rom-com," highlighting its ability to provide its "swoon-worthy stars some of their meatiest material yet" and affirming Celine Song's status as "a modern master of relationship dramas." However, audience reception has been slightly less enthusiastic, with a 66% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The success of "Materialists" is particularly noteworthy given that the romance genre has frequently been relegated to streaming platforms in recent years. While there have been a few recent romance hits that combined elements of comedy and action, such as "Anyone But You" and "The Lost City," a significant portion of their target audience often prefers to watch them from home. "Materialists" now offers viewers the convenience of home viewing after its successful theatrical and PVOD runs.

Directed and written by Celine Song, with producers Christine Vachon, Pamela Koffler, David Hinojosa, and Song herself, "Materialists" was released on June 13, 2025, and has a runtime of 117 minutes. Dakota Johnson portrays the character Lucy, and Chris Evans plays John, rounding out the central cast of this impactful romance drama.