Celine Song’s highly anticipated follow-up to Past Lives, titled Materialists, is shaking up the romantic comedy genre in unexpected ways. While the film explores the complexities of modern dating through the eyes of a matchmaker played by Dakota Johnson, one seemingly small detail has sparked massive conversation and feels distinctly 2025: an explicit salary figure.
The $80,000 Detail Shocks Audiences
In Materialists, Dakota Johnson portrays Lucy, a professional matchmaker navigating her own tangled love life involving a wealthy finance guy (Pedro Pascal). Early in the film, Lucy casually reveals her annual salary: $80,000. This isn’t just a throwaway line; it’s a moment designed to provoke her suitor and immediately grounds the character in a specific financial reality rarely seen or stated aloud in traditional rom-coms.
The impact of this single number was palpable, reportedly eliciting a collective gasp from audiences at early screenings. It wasn’t necessarily the amount itself that caused the reaction, but the sheer act of stating a character’s precise income. Romantic comedies often exist in a financialNeverland, where characters inhabit glamorous apartments and enjoy lavish lifestyles without any grounding in how they actually afford it (think Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment vs. her columnist salary). Materialists defies this convention, making money a tangible, discussable element.
Sparking Real-World Debates
By making Lucy’s salary explicit, Materialists invites viewers into a debate about the character’s lifestyle and aspirations. With an $80,000 income, is it realistic for Lucy to live alone in a tiny studio on the edge of affluent Brooklyn Heights? Can she afford her seemingly nice wardrobe?
This debate mirrors real-world financial considerations people face daily, particularly in expensive urban centers. It forces viewers to consider the trade-offs and financial stretches many make – living potentially “leveraged-to-the-hilt” as some might describe it, akin to famous fictional characters known for spending beyond their apparent means. While items like direct-to-consumer fashion brands or thrifting can make a stylish wardrobe more accessible, the central tension between income and visible lifestyle remains a potent talking point.
Beyond the Number: Materialism and Modern Dating
The film’s title, Materialists, underscores the theme: how financial realities, aspirations for wealth, and material comforts intersect with emotional connections and relationship choices. Lucy’s job as a matchmaker involves assessing intangible qualities, yet the film emphasizes that material circumstances and financial compatibility are undeniable factors in modern partnerships. The explicit $80,000 salary serves as a crucial anchor, highlighting the financial ‘game’ that characters (and people) play in dating.
Interestingly, this focus on assessment and perceived value extends beyond the film’s plot. The constant public scrutiny and debate surrounding Dakota Johnson’s own career – her perceived talent, charisma, and status as a “nepo baby” – create a metatextual layer to her role. Just as Lucy assesses others’ value and fit, Johnson herself is a figure whose own intangible qualities and ‘realness’ are constantly debated in the public sphere. Some see her as merely “playing the game” of Hollywood, leveraging her presence and confidence even in critically panned projects.
Within this context, Johnson’s portrayal of Lucy, a character who navigates and assesses value systems (both personal and potentially material), feels particularly resonant. Her ability to project confidence and navigate scrutiny, as seen in her famous viral press moments, aligns with a character grounded in a specific financial reality but seemingly aspiring beyond it, constantly assessing and being assessed.
Ultimately, the $80,000 salary in Materialists is more than just a number; it’s a narrative device that grounds the film in modern financial realities, sparks relevant debates about lifestyle and income, and subtly comments on the very act of assessing value – both within the film’s world of dating and potentially in the public perception of its star. It’s a bold choice that signals Materialists isn’t your typical escapist rom-com, but one willing to confront the tangible realities that shape our relationships today.
