Dakota Johnson’s character in The Materialists seems to have it all, elite NYC clients, a designer wardrobe, and two dreamy suitors, but real matchmakers say the real job is far more complicated.
To separate fact from fantasy, DailyMail.com spoke to four high-profile insiders: Patti Stanger (The Millionaire Matchmaker), Jaydi Samuels (co-founder of LJMatchmaking), Nick Rosen (founder of Met By Nick and co-founder of QUALITY), and Susan Trombetti (CEO of Exclusive Matchmaking), and, they didn’t hold back.
‘There’s this sexy allure to the industry,’ says Trombetti. ‘The burnout is real. You need a team for support and balance.’
Stanger, known to millions as The Millionaire Matchmaker, confirmed that most matchmakers ‘are often single as they see the dark side of dating.’
Samuels, co-founder of LJMatchmaking, also pointed out that the movie leans hard into their client’s super luxurious world, but that most experts spend their days in front of a laptop, not at cocktail parties or getting toasted at weddings.
‘The majority of a matchmaker’s day, for most of us, is sitting around in sweatpants, scheduling dates, sorting through a database, conducting coaching sessions and intakes over Zoom,’ Samuels says.
‘There are no cakes every time someone gets engaged,’ Trombetti adds. ‘And [clients] don’t always invite you to weddings.’
And while Lucy is shown taking client calls between lavish dinners and flirty rooftop dates, the real balancing act can be much messier.
‘I just returned from an exotic vacation, where I was taking client calls out of the country in a rainforest,’ Trombetti says. ‘You want to be available at all times – 24/7.’
Still, Rosen, founder of Met By Nick and co-founder of QUALITY, emphasized that he does not make promises to clients about finding ‘The One.’
‘The biggest issue is how the luxury model itself can compromise genuine matchmaking,’ he explained. ‘When you’re under pressure to maintain high fees and constantly upsell, it can create conflicts between what’s best for the client and what’s best for revenue.’
Rosen added, ‘Ethical matchmakers set realistic expectations about what we can deliver—excellent introductions and guidance—while being honest that the ultimate outcome depends on the clients themselves. Love involves two people and countless variables beyond our control.’
Another moment in the film that sparked outrage among the pros? A client is sexually assaulted on a date arranged by Lucy, and her boss brushes it off.
‘It’s not normal in the business,’ Trombetti says. ‘It’s a shame that was portrayed like that. I find it disgusting.’
‘I’ve never encountered this occurrence personally, but the fear of it kept me awake at night until I switched to a referral-only model,’ Samuels stresses. ‘I do want to stress that something like that is logically most likely to occur when you’re working with less experienced matchmakers, though.’
Samuels points out ‘Johnson’s character wasn’t even aware that could happen’ and hardly got to know anyone beyond their “stats” on paper (beyond height and income).
Stanger echoes the sentiment. ‘I run a tight ship. We background check everyone. But even then, it’s never 100%.’
Beyond the procedural issues, experts took aim at Lucy’s personal choices, especially in her own love life.
Samuels explains that Lucy self-sabotages constantly, including belittling herself to Pedro Pascal’s character by telling him ‘multiple times’ that he can ‘do much better.’
The way Lucy interacts with clients also raised eyebrows.
‘We aren’t chasing people down the street to become a client,’ Trombetti says. ‘I might chase what I perceive as the perfect match for a client… but I don’t chase clients down. They have to want to become a client.’
Samuels admits: ‘A truly bad date could ruin my night in addition to my client’s, as typically I want them to find love as badly as they do.’
Stanger is more direct about her boundaries to prevent professional and personal lines from blurring.
‘Yes clients can become your friends but it’s a tricky situation because if they renew they’ll want a huge discount,’ she warns. ‘I tell my staff it’s not wise to become friends with your clients or even date them as it will backfire on you. You must always be professional at all times.’
Samuels, the author of Your Last First Date: Secrets from a Hollywood Matchmaker, confessed you can’t always predict what will happen.
‘It’s true you can date a potential or current client, I wound up marrying one!’ she exclaims.
One thing The Materialists nailed? The outlandish demands.
‘I loved when Dakota tells a woman she isn’t a catch,’ Trombetti says, before noting that the longer her clients stay single the ‘longer’ their lists of expectations get.
When asked about Johnson’s performance overall, the experts answers were mixed.
‘I loved it, I think Celine Song nailed it and I think Dakota’s portrayal of a young matchmaker was authentic. She cared about her clients and went beyond the call of duty. That is a good matchmaker in the end,’ Stanger says.
But the industry veterans also agree: the film’s portrayal is incomplete.
‘[The film captures] the exhausting reality of constantly managing other people’s romantic expectations while struggling with your own relationship choices. The film doesn’t shy away from showing matchmaker burnout, which is painfully real but rarely discussed publicly,’ Rosen says.
‘Lucy was too cynical to last in the real world,’ Trombetti says. ‘Clients would pick up on that energy instantly. And don’t get me started on her stalking. There would be legal consequences.’
And Samuels couldn’t help but add that Lucy is an abysmal dater, who could not see she has more options than her unstable ex or the guy she doesn’t feel worthy of.
‘There is a third option, which is to remain single, and find someone who has his life together and treats her well like Pedro, who she’s as passionate about as Chris. To me, that would have been a stronger ending,’ she reminds audiences.
Ann Parnes, the co-founder of After Hello, found the ‘portrayal of matchmaking as something transitional and impersonal.’
‘l. It gave the impression that as professional matchmakers, we make matches based on a checklist of data points, much like dating apps often encourage, rather than considering the whole person: their needs, wants, lifestyle, and values. That’s the opposite of how we work,’ she insists.
