Bittersweet regret and a sense of time having passed you by are at the heart of the emotional Past Lives movie, which is already shaping up to be one of the best films of the year.
Starring Greta Lee (Russian Doll, The Morning Show) and Teo Yoo (Decision To Leave, Black Money) as two childhood friends who reconnect across continents after losing contact with each other for years. While they strike up a friendship, the two both feel that they’ve missed opportunities to be with each other in the past.
Nora (Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) both grew up together in South Korea, becoming best friends. They walk home together from school every day, try and beat each other to be the best in their class and are inseparable. That is until Nora’s family decide to emigrate to Canada, and suddenly the friendship disintegrates.
Years later, Hae Sung remains in Korea, but Nora is now living in New York as a budding playwright, and the two get back in contact with each other through Facebook, and then Skype. Things seemingly begin to blossom into something of a long-distance romance, but their now very different lives make things complicated.
Hae Sung eventually makes the trip to America to reunite with Nora for a week, the two ponder the idea of destiny vs reality. Is romance an option for them? Or is it now too late to turn back to clock and take opportunities that they missed?
As shown in the Past Lives movie trailer, which you can watch below, Nora is in a relationship with a man in America, but there are hints that there’s still a close connection between the two former friends. Greta Lee and Teo Yoo’s obvious chemistry adds to the lingering sense that the characters could and perhaps should be together.
The film, which Song also wrote, debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January and picked up glowing reviews from critics, praising the emotional storytelling and acting. It’s set to arrive later this year, though a definitive release date is yet to be announced, in both cinemas and on streaming.
Can’t wait for the past lives movie? Check out our best of Netflix guide for 2023
