Rom-com fans, rejoice — the genre’s long-awaited revival might finally be here, and it’s arriving in the form of Materialists, director Celine Song’s stylish new film. The second trailer dropped on Thursday, May 8, and instantly sent nostalgic ripples through the internet.
Starring Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, and Chris Evans, Materialists centers around Lucy, a high-powered New York matchmaker who finds herself caught in a love triangle between her charming ex (Evans) and a magnetic businessman (Pascal). The film hits theaters on June 13, but if the trailer is any clue, audiences are already all in.
With its playful typography, throwback voice-over, and a dreamy indie-pop cover of Madonna’s “Material Girl,” the trailer has fans flashing back to classics like The Wedding Planner and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Twitter users (now X) have dubbed the trailer “peak Nora Ephron energy” and praised Song for capturing the essence of a bygone rom-com era.
The film’s look and tone — from its pastel visuals and clean, retro fonts to the upbeat, cheeky narration — echo everything fans loved about early-2000s hits like 27 Dresses and Sweet Home Alabama. Even the tagline, “Some people just want more,” screams vintage rom-com poster vibes.
Johnson told Entertainment Weekly that her character Lucy is “teetering between two worlds,” trying to decide between a predictable life that seems fulfilling and a harder one where real love might live. That theme — of choosing between comfort and chaos for love — has always been at the heart of great romantic comedies.
Fans are also losing it over the love triangle casting, which perfectly blends nostalgia with modern-day internet obsession. Evans, a rom-com staple from his early Not Another Teen Movie days, brings veteran charm, while Pascal, the internet’s beloved “daddy,” is stepping into romantic lead territory to much fanfare.
From its trailer alone, Materialists is already being called a love letter to the rom-coms of the ’90s and 2000s, but with a 2025 update. Celine Song, fresh off her Oscar-nominated debut Past Lives, seems poised to not only reignite the genre but possibly redefine it.
Rom-com lovers may finally be able to say: we’re so back.
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