Slate Money Money On Film: Materialists
Mar 24, 2026
A lively dive into a romantic comedy that centers on a millionaire matchmaker and a complicated love triangle. They probe how money shapes dating choices and whether romance is overstated. Conversations hit matchmaking ethics, prenups, and how films simplify assortative mating and class dynamics. The hosts critique thin character work and missed chances to show real NYC dating nuance.
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Dating Framed As Financial Contracts
- Materialists treats modern dating as transactions where financial compatibility is framed as a prerequisite for marriage.
- Nadira Goff highlights the protagonist's matchmaking lens: she sees couplings as deals and checks boxes like income and stability, not emotions.
Rom Com Trope That Love Beats Money
- The film recycles the tired rom-com trope that true love is proven by giving up money, which the hosts find unconvincing.
- Felix Salmon criticizes that the protagonist abandons financial pragmatism with no credible inner conflict or stakes shown.
Assault Lawsuit As Plot Catalyst
- A lawsuit against a matchmaker client in the film serves as the supposed catalyst for the protagonist's change of heart about money-driven matches.
- Nadira Goff notes the film links the assault lawsuit to the protagonist rethinking checklist-based matchmaking but leaves the takeaway vague.