The Business Celine Song on confronting the cost of love in ‘Materialists’
Dec 5, 2025
Celine Song, a talented writer-director known for her acclaimed films like Past Lives, shares insights on her latest rom-com Materialists. She discusses how her experience as a New York matchmaker informed the film's exploration of love and commodification. Song reflects on the privilege of partnering with A24 for theatrical releases and the influence of streaming on storytelling. She also connects modern dating dynamics to 19th-century marriage markets, emphasizing that love remains a complex, economic transaction.
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Streaming Narrows Visual Storytelling
- Celine Song argues streaming shapes movies to be verbally explicit and shallow for distracted viewers.
- She warns this reduces cinema's visual subtlety and makes audiences lazier about stories.
Design For Theater Experience
- Aim to make films that reward focused theatrical viewing rather than passive, half-watched streaming.
- Celine Song recommends preserving cinematic imagery and gestures that require audience attention.
Matchmaking Sparked The Film
- Celine Song worked as a New York matchmaker for about six months to pay rent while pursuing playwriting.
- She kept that job's impressions and spent years shaping them into the story for Materialists.