Past Lives
Directed by Celine SongNora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrested apart after Nora's family emigrates from South Korea. Twenty years later, they are reunited for one fateful week as they confront notions of love and destiny.
Past Lives Ratings & Reviews
- mickerdoo19 March 2026Beautifully shot and written. Interesting how we come in and out of lives in different seasons. Hate to love Arthur.
- jkljlk11975 March 2026"What if this is a past life as well, and we are already something else to each other in our next life? Who do you think we are then?"
- Jean Sean15 January 2026People who told me to watch this tried to paint this movie as some beautiful story about two ppl that were meant to be together but couldnt be.... instead I saw a story about a man that was obsessed with a woman and tried to stalk her most of his adult life. He went to visit her knowing she was married. the woman was okay with it and inappropriately embraced this man, spent days on dates with him, and disrespected her cuck husband who just sat by and "supported" her, comforting her as she yearned to be in a relationship with someone else. I dont think you have to kiss or sleep someone to cheat. She cheated emotionally the entire time which kind of invalidates the entire ending that we're supposed to find beautiful? Her crying in HER HUSBANDS ARMS over a man she couldnt be with was a level of stupid I couldnt wrap my head around. Women always try to say "men don't know how to write women" and I think the same is also true the other way around. Women will try to say "He's a perfect example of an emotionally intelligent man which most men could never be." Those people will either die alone or are the kind of ppl whos husband sits on that chair by the bed in hotel rooms while their wife get rammed by a trucker named bill. If you dont agree with this and downvote it, you're likely single and find this movie to be "what if" porn for you and the crush that you've been obsessed with all your life.
- 28190830 December 2025This movie should have come out in the 1990s.
- Varun19 October 2024An amazing dreamy film with great performances that really captures the immigrant experience when you leave an important loved one behind in your country of origin. The regrets, possibilities, childhood memories, longing for your past self, loss of community and culture, it can be difficult for the soul to fully let go even years after moving and achieving success in your new life. The desire to somehow travel back to your past by reconnecting with that once important person is very tempting but you know that your soul will be filled only temporarily and eventually tear apart again because all the pain of loss you couldn’t process as a child will come rushing to the surface.
- Tanalien9 January 2025Past Lives is a film that leaves you in a melancholy state of reflection. These characters share a sense of trauma that only time can fade away. Beyond asking myself, what would I do if I were in any of these characters’ situation, the film is bound to bring up old stories and events long past. Why is it that we ended up where we are? The scientific answer is mere probability and coincidence, but that has never satisfied a soul. Our universal sense of destiny is the most human element in all of us. Celine Song tugs at our human chords and asks those questions that make us wonder: "Is this where I was meant to be?" Her answer: "Yes."
- Desmond Dale24 January 2025It's both romantic and cyclical like a well written villanele. It's ripe with drama and passion while portraying fully rounded characters who are flawed in minute unique ways which lends the movie the stubby backbone of realism it needs to be worth endearing. Kudos to the screenwriter for eschewing the classic love triangle trappings and opting to show the beauty of an interrelationship between three beautiful self-aware soulmates.
- LD_5018 October 2025From intentional visual framing, authenticly relatable characters, and masterful writing, Past Lives is a story about confronting destiny, love, and choices that impact our paths and, ultimately, choices that make a life. A wonderfully mature, authentic, and daring film that has so many layers to unravel in a simple story that begins with, "what could have been?"
- king11 October 2025somehow it captures the volatility and uncertainty but yet gentleness of Love and life
- cultfilmliker12 July 2025“Ah… what can I do?” Probably the most beautiful film I’ve ever seen all around. From the cinematography to the story. Stunning.
- diab9535 October 2025I don't normally watch romance movies, but this one was different. It's definitely not the cliche outcome. Watch it if you're into romance
- Kevin Ward2 July 2025Past Lives marks an exquisite debut film for Celine Song. The film details a decade-spanning romance comparable to Richard Linklater's Before Trilogy. The film incorporates the Korean (Buddhist) concept of In-yun, in which thousands of connections from our past lives inform our relationships in the present (and future). Childhood friends in Korea, Na Young and Hae Sung seemingly share such a connection. They're drawn to each other as classmates, rivals, and friends. But when Na Young's family emigrates to the United States, the pair's relationship is abruptly cut short. It’s not until 12 (and 24) years later that we see the two reunite. But while Linklater's trilogy is marked by seizing fated opportunities in the moment--getting on that train, meeting up in Paris, etc.--Past Lives explores what happens when we don't. It's a meditation on the paths not taken, opportunities not seized, and whether or not those fated connections from our past lives can endure beyond. I watched this on the opening night of SIFF 2023, followed by a Q&A session with Celine Song. The film is clearly a deeply personal story to the director, but it touches on universal truths that will likely resonate emotionally with anyone who watches it. The dialogue in the script is honest, open, and genuinely humorous. Greta Lee and Yoo Teo, who play the adult versions of Na Young and Hae Sung, deliver nuanced performances through their dialogue but even more so in their brilliant non-verbal communication. Their silent glances, posture, and body language become more critical when Nora's husband, Arthur (John Magaro), enters the picture. More than just being about a pair of star-crossed lovers, there's also a moving immigrant story. Na Young's immigrant experience involves saying goodbye to Korea and leaving that life behind. In New York, she adopts the name Nora Moon and sees her life take a completely different trajectory. Like so many immigrants, Nora leaves behind essentially the whole of her identity to this point. Does the Na Young, that 12-year-old Korean girl aspiring to be a Nobel laureate and who experienced that deep connection with Hae Sung, still exist? Song described the film as "a death," implicitly an acceptance of things lost or left behind. It's a devastating romance impeccably crafted by an exciting new voice in cinema. I highly recommend you check it out.
- rg94001 November 2024Past Lives seems to get lots of critic love, but whenever I talk to people, they don’t seem to love it nearly as much. This intrigues me because I can understand both perspectives. I feel this movie is highly subjective based on how much the core emotional struggle will resonate with your own experiences. For me, it hit pretty close to home. This idea of yearning, of relationships that are maybe not the right ones but are nonetheless something you desperately want. Everything is so subdued and gentle, on the surface, with the movie wearing its heart on its sleeve. Lines are delivered effortlessly and suffused with sentimentality. I found it compelling even if I understand how a lot of people might view it as just a very boring look into two people who drifted apart.
- Jonathon Pack22 September 2025There's a lot to like in this impressive directorial debut. New York City has zero appeal to me yet the cinematography here made me feel something positive about that city. It was shot on 35mm and looks incredible. My favorite thing about Past Lives is that it barely needed the PG-13 rating. If it wasn't for one scene where the f-word was used a few times, it probably could've been just PG. I can't think of another romantic drama movie like this and it's refreshing. The story really takes its time and the end result is worth it. Great conversations can be had about commitment, communication, and trust to name a few. It really is a good story that can be quite relatable.
- AlexZorro23 August 2025Beautiful to look at, but still a boring look at generation Z's navels. And who wouldn't have expected, what the movie needs 2 hours to bring across?
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Past Lives Trivia
Past Lives was released on 16 June 2023.
Past Lives was directed by Celine Song.
Past Lives has a runtime of 1h 45m.
Past Lives was produced by David Hinojosa, Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon.
Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrested apart after Nora's family emigrates from South Korea. Twenty years later, they are reunited for one fateful week as they confront notions of love and destiny.
The key characters in Past Lives are Nora (Greta Lee), Hae Sung (Teo Yoo), Arthur (John Magaro).
Past Lives is rated 12A.
Past Lives is a Drama, Romance film.
Past Lives has an audience rating of 9.3 out of 10.
Past Lives had a budget of US$12M.
Past Lives has made US$28.1M at the box office.