Celine Song Blends Film Noir with Romantic Comedy in Her New Film The Materialists

Following the critical success of Past Lives—one of 2023’s most acclaimed films—director Celine Song returns with The Materialists, a genre-bending exploration of love, matchmaking, and emotional complexity. This highly anticipated feature arrives with a unique structural twist: it merges the conventions of romantic comedy with the narrative and stylistic elements of film noir.

In a recent interview with SlashFilm, Song shared insights into her creative process, personal experiences, and cinematic influences. Notably, she reflected on how Past Lives shaped her approach to directing her sophomore feature.

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“Honestly, [I learned] how to make a movie,” Song remarked. “With Materialists, I walked into it at least having made one movie. That allowed me to challenge myself and ask more from my team, my actors—and from myself.”

Real-Life Matchmaking Informs the Script

Before becoming a filmmaker, Song worked as a professional matchmaker for six months. That experience provided firsthand access to people’s unfiltered thoughts about relationships, dating, and emotional vulnerability. She channeled that authenticity into her writing.

“People were very honest with me,” Song said. “I got to hear the real, the blunt. That really informed the way that Lucy [the main character] speaks. There’s this amazing relief we feel when we can say the part that we are all thinking.”

This behind-the-scenes intimacy with human relationships adds a deeply personal layer to The Materialists, giving the film a sense of grounded realism despite its genre-blending style.

A Romantic Comedy Built on Noir Structure

Perhaps the most distinctive aspect of The Materialists is its unexpected narrative foundation. While the film presents itself as a romantic comedy, Song drew heavily from the classic structure of noir cinema.

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“The film is actually in the structure of a noir,” she explained. “You meet the client who changes your life. There’s a femme fatale, a police chief, a partner you trust… all the archetypes are there. Except the cynical job is matchmaking.”

This structural choice provides a fresh lens for viewing a familiar genre. Noir traditionally involves a morally ambiguous protagonist, transformative encounters, and a dark undercurrent of existential dread. Translating that into the world of modern romance offers viewers a new kind of storytelling experience—one that navigates emotional ambiguity and internal conflict in a stylish, narrative-driven way.

Tropes Reimagined

By embedding noir tropes within a romantic framework, Song creates a hybrid cinematic language. From scenes in shadowy alleys to the emotional unraveling of the protagonist, the noir elements shape the tone and pacing of the story. Yet, the emotional longing and fantasy typical of romantic comedies remain intact.

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“Noirs often end with either a promotion or running away with the femme fatale,” Song noted. “That duality influenced how we approached the ending of The Materialists.”

This approach not only modernizes the rom-com format but also allows for deeper character development, making the narrative more emotionally resonant and thematically rich.