The following contains spoilers for Materialists, now playing in theatersMaterialists‘ primary plot involves the love triangle that develops between Lucy, Harry, and John, with Lucy’s final decision serving as the emotional and thematic point of the movie. Directed and written by Celine Song, the film focuses on Dakota Johnson’s Lucy. A matchmaker working in New York City to unite some of the most eligible bachelors and bachelorettes in the city, Lucy finds herself torn between her new romance with the charming finance expert Harry and her old flame, the sweet-natured struggling actor John.

Materialists‘ cast two of Hollywood’s most charming stars, with Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal’s charming performances complicating Lucy’s decision. Materialists doesn’t really have an overt antagonist or outright villain, with many of the challenges and questions Lucy faces stemming from her belief in love and her self-doubt. This plays into the final message of Materialists, which highlights the most important aspect of a relationship and why it means the love triangle at the center of the film was never going to resolve itself any other way.

Why Lucy Ends Up With John, Not Harry, In Materialists

Lucy Goes For True Love With John Instead Of The Luxury Afforded By Harry

Torn between her burgeoning relationship with Harry and her lingering feelings for John for much of Materialists, the film ends with Lucy choosing John and ultimately marrying him. Over the course of Materialists, Lucy embarks on an initially friendly and gradually flirtatious friendship with Harry. The pair begin a romance, even as she also reconnects with her old flame John. While she sees Harry as the “unicorn” and someone who checks all the boxes for a perfect partner on paper, she ultimately doesn’t fall in love with him in the same way she does with John.

Lucy struggles with the idea that a perfect partner should provide security, comparing marriage to a business proposition. That financial uncertainty and the resulting instability was what drove a wedge between John and Lucy in the first place. However, after her client Sofia is ᴀssaulted by one of her dates, Lucy is forced to consider that on-paper compatibility isn’t as important as real-life connections. This is why, after crashing a wedding and hearing John’s business offer of unyielding love and support, Lucy ends the film choosing John and even marrying him.

Who Harry Is With In Materialists’ Ending

Harry Is Implied To Get An Off-Screen Happy Ending With An Unseen Woman

Harry is a compelling romantic rival for John, as he has no real negative qualities. Lucy is never driven away by Harry. However, she acknowledges that despite their connection and compatibility, Lucy and Harry simply don’t love each other. While this comes as a blow to Harry (who had intended to propose to her), he doesn’t necessarily deny it and even admits his fears that he’ll never find true love. It all plays into Harry as a sympathetic portrayal of a man who, even with everything going his way, needs surgery for confidence and luck to find happiness.

Harry doesn’t get the happy ending he wanted in Materalists, but the film’s final scene implies that he’s on his way there. During their break-up, Lucy promises to introduce Harry to another of her fellow matchmakers who can introduce him to someone new. During a phone conversation with her employer in the film’s ending, Lucy learns that Harry has been seeing a woman who works in the art world and has been seeing her for a little while. This implies that Harry might be on the path to the love that he didn’t think he’d ever truly find.

Lucy’s Reconciliation With Sofia In Materialists Explained

Lucy And Sofia’s Connection Is Materialists’ Most Important Subplot

One of the darker elements of Materialists is the challenge faced by Sofia, Lucy’s most prominent client. Sofia is a successful lawyer, but her age and lack of connections in the city have made finding a romantic partner hard. She becomes friends with Lucy through their work together, and is convinced to go on a date by her. Unfortunately, the man tries to ᴀssault her. Lucy is incredibly shaken by this, even more so when she tries to apologize to Lucy but is met with fury over how Sofia believes Lucy only saw her as “meat.”

When Sofia’s date follows her home, however, Sofia turns to Lucy for help. Lucy drops everything to race back to the city so she can be there for Lucy, ultimately providing support and staying all night with her. The pair have an embrace during this scene, with Lucy gaining Sofia’s forgiveness. The film’s final scene hints that Sofia has found happiness with the next person Lucy and the matchmakers set her up with, trying to remain cautiously optimistic.

Sofia’s story is one of the most harrowing parts of Materialists, showcasing the somber realities of dating and underscoring Lucy’s pitch to potential clients that it takes a certain amount of courage to dive into the dating pool. Sofia’s date also highlights how Lucy’s completely transactional and blunt ᴀssessment of people can’t always gauge true intent and personality. Romance and relationships are built on some level by untangible elements such as personality and love, something that Lucy and Sofia learn the hard way but adapt to as they head towards a happy ending.

Why Harry Had Surgery To Become Taller

Harry Wanted The Confidence That Came With Just A Few Extra Inches

What sets off the split between Harry and Lucy is the discovery that he had surgery to become taller before the events of the film. Referenced early in the movie by Lucy and her co-workers, the procedure involves breaking the legs and then resetting the bones in a specific way to gain upwards of six inches of height. It’s a painful and expensive procedure, but Harry reveals that it had a transformative effect on him. Already handsome and wealthy, the extra inches helped solidify him into a “unicorn” in the eyes of Lucy and the matchmakers.

Harry admits that getting taller didn’t just make him luckier in love, however. In business, while dining out, even just walking through New York City has become easier because of the confidence the height gives Harry and the impact it has on people who interact with him. This speaks to the film’s themes about trying to be perfect on paper, even if it’s quietly a lie. While his surgery is far less malicious than the duplicitous and predatory actions of Sofia’s date, it stems from the same core concept of hiding one’s true self to forge a connection.

Materialists’ Caveman Wedding Scene & What It Means

The Framing Device Of Materialists’ Caveman Wedding Underscores The Meaning Of The Film

Materialists opens with a flashback to a caveman and a cavewoman, who present each other with flowers and tools as part of an apparent wedding ceremony. This sets up the idea that Lucy initially preaches about marriage being a business transaction more than a relationship, suggesting that the film’s perception of relationships going back to the dawn of man were transactional on some level. However, the genuine love between the two non-speaking characters undercuts this idea, leading to their second scene at the end of the film.

Lucy’s final monologue reveals that she’s been dreaming of the “first marriage,” explaining the scene. In the follow-up to the opening sequence, the couple are seen again. This time, they are cuddling in a cave, with the cavewoman implied to be pregnant. Lucy reflects on how love and connection were the true bonding agents that brought them together, which underscores the lesson she has learned about relationships and romance. This connection is solidified when John proposes to Lucy with a flower, fashioning it into a ring just as the caveman once did for his bride.

The Real Meaning Of Materialists

In Relationships, Love Matters More Than Anything Else

Materialists is a movie about the importance of love in a relationship, arguing that bonds made for social obligations or creature comforts aren’t the same. Everyone has an idea of their dream partner, something that Lucy has to explain to some of her clients when she notes she isn’t Dr. Frankenstein and can’t just create the perfect man. She has to test that limitation when she does meet the seemingly perfect man in Harry, who is everything she seems to be looking for. Despite the luxury and comfort, though, she doesn’t connect with him on a deeper level.

Despite their tensions, Lucy and John still have feelings for one another. John acknowledges how he fails to meet Lucy’s standards, but this in turn is met with Lucy’s belief that she isn’t worth anyone’s time. That’s why their decision at the end of the movie, to not only believe in themselves but in the potential for their happiness together, is so sweet. It reinforces Materialists‘ central thesis about relationships and the unmistakable importance of love. Materialists offers a romantic argument about why love matters more than anything else in a relationship.