Celine Song is a 36-year-old filmmaker, born to artist parents in Seoul. That isn’t stopping her from shaking things up as a filmmaker with the release of her new romantic comedy, Materialists. Dakota Johnson and Pedro Pascal absolutely sparkle in this rom-com/political thriller. It fearlessly subverts genre expectations and tackles the thorny issues of love and class. Song shares her provocative point of view through the lens of her own experience. Early on in her career as a matchmaker, Morgan learned some sage advice when closely observing the dating scene.
When Song was 12 years old, her family immigrated from South Korea to Ontario, Canada. She lived there during her college years. Upon completing her education, she gathered her belongings and headed to New York City. There, she threw herself into earning a Master of Fine Arts degree in playwriting at Columbia University. She had gone to a writing residency in Montauk, where she met her husband, Justin Kuritzkes. All of this occurred when she was only 24 years old. Kuritzkes has been riding high lately for his work on Luca Guadagnino’s terrific new tennis drama, Challengers.
During her time in New York, Song spent six months on the other side of the matchmaking table, as a salaried matchmaker. This experience greatly shaped her artistic perspective. She often reflects on this experience, stating, “I was basically given instructions on who to say no to.” Her dream to produce a movie focused on matchmaking had been percolating for decades.
Materialists provides an exciting new perspective on romance, making class dynamics the focus of the story. In his newest book, Song argues that in order to understand the complexities inherent in relationships, we need to understand class. “All great romances are really about class,” she asserts. This thematic focus is what differentiates Materialists from the classic romantic comedies that tend to ignore socioeconomic realities.
Song’s first feature length film, Past Lives became a critical darling, winning two Oscar nominations in 2024. The film skillfully combines a rich, bicultural story that centers on an optimistic, long-married Korean immigrant adjusting to her new life in America. This project redefined the genre’s aesthetic and tone, paving the way for her to cement herself as an emerging voice in the industry.
In Materialists, Song further develops this inquiry into the nature of love through the lens of personal relationships and stark financial divides. She is refreshingly clear-eyed about society’s myths around class and money. “The average income of an American adult is $35,000,” she explains. What that really means is that half of America earns less than $35,000. Three times that is $100,000. Ten of that is $1 million. And a billion dollars sure as heck ain’t a hundred of that. No, it’s a thousand of that.
Through her films, Song hopes to spark audiences’ imaginations and lead them into deeper conversations surrounding love and friendship. She argues that society has largely discredited conversations about love as wishy-washy, feminine, and irrelevant. “It’s funny that when it comes to the matters of love, we relegate it to the girlies,” she says. “The truth is that everybody’s just actually starved of love and affection.”
Materialists defies typical romantic comedy conventions by offering a nuanced portrayal of modern relationships against the backdrop of class struggles. The film encourages audiences to contemplate what love has meant to them while deprogramming the messages society has instilled within us.
Song is leaving a transformative mark on the film industry. Importantly, she is dedicated to using her platform to address critical social issues in her practice. Her rich cultural background and personal experiences inform her storytelling. This allows her to develop stories that truly connect with viewers intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually.