--- title: "Past Lives" year: 2023 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/past-lives" fi1m_id: "past-lives" imdb_id: "tt13238346" tmdb_id: 666277 wikidata_id: "Q116025865" fi1m_score: 85 critics_score: 85 critics_reviews: 22 published: "2026-09-10" updated: "2026-09-18T08:37:41.384806+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Past Lives (2023) Directed by Celine Song · 1h 46m · MPA PG-13 · Drama, Romance ## Identity Past Lives - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/past-lives - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** past-lives - **IMDb ID:** tt13238346 - **TMDB ID:** 666277 - **Wikidata ID:** Q116025865 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13238346/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/666277, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q116025865 **Fi1m score: 85** · Critics 85 from 22 reviews *In a sentence:* Everyone here behaves impeccably, and it does not help any of them > Celine Song’s first film follows two childhood friends from Seoul across twenty-four years and two continents, and it is quiet, exact and moving without once raising its voice. The husband is drawn a shade too kindly, and the middle stretch runs long. ## Synopsis Na Young and Hae Sung are twelve and in the same class in Seoul when her parents decide to emigrate. On the last day the two children walk home together and part where the road forks. Twelve years later she is Nora (Greta Lee), a writer living in New York, and he (Teo Yoo) is still in Seoul; they find each other online and start talking over video calls. Another twelve years pass. Nora is married to Arthur (John Magaro), an American novelist, and Hae Sung books a flight to New York to see her for a week. Celine Song writes and directs her first film, in Korean and English. ## Review It opens on three people at a bar in New York: a Korean woman, a Korean man, a white American man, and two voices off screen trying to work out who they are to each other. Celine Song, writing and directing her first film, spends the next hour and a half going back twenty-four years to answer the question, and by the time she returns to the bar we know what every glance costs. It is a fine piece of work, quiet and precise, and we recommend it with one reservation we will come to. Twenty-four years earlier, Na Young and Hae Sung are twelve and at school together in Seoul. Her parents are emigrating, and on the last day her mother arranges an outing so the two can say goodbye. Moon Seung-ah and Leem Seung-min play the children without a false note, and Shabier Kirchner ends the section with a wide shot of the walk home: the road forks, she climbs a flight of steps to the left, he carries on along the flat to the right, and the camera does not move. That shot got us, and we were slightly embarrassed by how fast. Nothing has happened. Two children have gone home. Twelve years later she is Nora (Greta Lee), a writer in New York, and he (Teo Yoo) is in Seoul, and they find each other online. Keith Fraase cuts this stretch as a run of video calls: faces freezing mid-sentence, the connection dropping at the wrong moment, daylight in one window and night in the other. Daniel Rossen and Christopher Bear score it with a few notes of piano and guitar. The calls are meant to feel repetitive, and after the fourth or fifth we were waiting for the next title card. It arrives, and another twelve years go with it. The New York section is where the film lives. Nora is married to Arthur (John Magaro), a novelist, and Grace Yun has given them a small flat with books on every surface, so that two people in it are close and three are crowded. Hae Sung flies in for a week. Katina Danabassis puts him in a neat jacket and a rucksack, dressed for an interview rather than a holiday, and Teo Yoo plays him with a politeness so complete it becomes painful: he does not know where to put his hands, and he looks at Nora as though checking she is still there. Greta Lee has the harder job. Nora has to be pleased to see him and irritated by what he brings back, often in the same shot, and Lee does both without appearing to do anything. Our reservation is Arthur. Magaro is good, and the scene in bed where he tells Nora that she dreams in Korean and he cannot follow her there is the best-written in the film. But Song has made him the most understanding husband we can remember. He jokes about being the white American standing in the way of fate, and he is never once unfair. That keeps the film civilised and it also keeps it safe: a triangle needs three sides, and this one has two and a witness. One dissenting review called the whole thing calculated. We would not go that far. The twelve-year intervals and the matched shots are a plan, and the plan shows, but the feeling underneath is not faked. There is a scene late on, back at that bar, where the three of them sit together and Nora has to translate. Arthur listens to a conversation he cannot follow, and Kirchner keeps him at the edge of the frame. We will say no more, except that the whole film has been built to reach it and it earns the build. Others have reached for [*Brief Encounter*](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter) and [*In the Mood for Love*](https://film.one/film/in-the-mood-for-love), and Song’s film is quieter than either: nobody here is tempted into anything they would have to hide. Early on, Nora explains to Arthur the Korean idea of in-yun, a tie between people who brushed past each other in a previous life, and adds that it is mostly something Koreans say to get someone into bed. It runs 106 minutes. Watch it with the person you chose, and do not plan on talking straight after. *Fi1m score 85, published 10 September 2026.* ## What the critics say The reviews for Past Lives are close to unanimous. Twenty-one of twenty-two are positive, and the praise gathers around the same things: Celine Song’s control as a first-time director, a script that keeps its yearning below the surface and avoids histrionics, and the performances of Greta Lee and John Magaro, whose husband is singled out more than once for the grace with which he accepts a supporting part in someone else’s story. Critics return to the structure across three time periods and to how much the film says through faces and silences rather than confrontations; several find it wittier than its premise suggests. Comparisons to Wong Kar-wai and Brief Encounter recur. Reservations are scarce. A few note the slow, deliberate pace, though mostly as a virtue. The one clear dissent comes from Vulture, which finds the film tasteful but calculated, a lopsided love story that feels shrewd and artificial beneath its wistful surface. Nobody else agrees. ## Straight answers **Is Past Lives worth watching?** *Past Lives* is worth watching for anyone who wants a quiet, exact romance about two childhood friends across twenty-four years, and we scored it 85. Our reservation is that the husband is drawn a shade too kindly and the middle stretch of video calls runs long. Watch it with the person you chose, and do not plan on talking straight after. **How long is Past Lives, and what is it rated?** *Past Lives* runs 1h 46m and is rated PG-13 by the MPA in the US. It is a drama and romance film. **Where can I watch Past Lives in the US?** *Past Lives* is available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from $3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is Past Lives, and is it suitable for children?** *Past Lives* is a 12A drama with no violence and nothing frightening in it, and the adult content amounts to a joke about using a Korean idea of fate to get someone into bed. Younger children will simply be bored by twenty-four years of glances and video calls. Teenagers who like a slow, serious romance will be fine. **How does Past Lives compare to In the Mood for Love?** *Past Lives* is quieter than [*In the Mood for Love*](https://film.one/film/in-the-mood-for-love): nobody in Celine Song's film is tempted into anything they would have to hide, while Wong Kar-wai's neighbours are always a step from it. Song's film is the more direct and the more forgiving; Wong's is the richer to look at and the more patient. We recommend the earlier film to anyone who finds Song's too civilised. **What should I watch after Past Lives?** After *Past Lives*, try [*In the Mood for Love*](https://film.one/film/in-the-mood-for-love) (2000, Fi1m 91): Wong Kar-wai’s Hong Kong neighbours never touch; the corridors do the talking. Then [*Brief Encounter*](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter) (1945, Fi1m 90): A railway buffet, a speck of grit, and two people who behave themselves; and [*Before Sunset*](https://film.one/film/before-sunset) (2004, Fi1m 91): Nine years on, one afternoon in Paris, and every word is a decision. ### Reviews we read (31) - **The Times**, Kevin Maher (★★★★★): Song's stylistically flawless debut nails a complex story of hidden yearnings and childhood selves, structured across three time periods with impeccably strong, awards-ready performances. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/past-lives-film-review-xnjb5d7kl) - **Time Out**, Lou Thomas (5/5): The critic praises Song’s beautiful debut as a nuanced, careful work that is emotionally devastating and comparable to Wong Kar-wai’s In the Mood for Love. They single out its graceful authenticity and the way it resonates with themes of love and loss. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/past-lives-2023) - **Empire**, Nick de Semlyen (90/100, inferred): The critic calls it a transcendent debut and masterclass in slow, simmering storytelling that will stay with you. They single out its delicate, slow-burning style powered by subtly changing facial expressions and emotional conundrums of the heart. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/past-lives/) - **Total Film**, Matt Maytum (90/100, inferred): The critic hails it as an exquisitely judged wonder and a time-spanning romance that dismantles your heart. They single out the truthful, generous three-hander and intimate micro-gestures crackling with electricity. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/past-lives-review/) - **The Independent** (3.5/4): The critic calls the film a gorgeous, achingly wistful debut that makes understated choices to break hearts, delivering a universal yet richly detailed tale of choices, fate and co-existing versions of a life. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/ap-arthur-uber-seoul-new-york-b2350017.html) - **Los Angeles Times**, Justin Chang (85/100, inferred): The critic calls it a gorgeously heady and heartfelt love story that feels lingering and contemplative. It singles out the way the film invites viewers into the characters’ intimate spaces across time and continents. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-06-01/past-lives-review-a24-celine-song-greta-lee-teo-yoo) - **The i Paper**, Christina Newland (85/100, inferred): The critic describes it as a magical, unmissable story of lost love and a powerful metaphor for the two selves that exist within immigrants. They single out the languorous visual style and philosophical depth over granular realism. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/past-lives-review-magical-lost-love-2600065) - **Variety**, Peter Debruge (Critics Pick): The critic praises the understated Sundance stunner for its exceptional feature debut and the director’s way with words and deep wells of emotion. It notes the autobiographical yet universal quality in exploring untapped possibilities. [Read](https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/past-lives-review-celine-song-1235498019/) - **Little White Lies**, Rafa Sales Ross (4/4/4): The critic finds the film a tender exploration of multiethnic romance and the complexities of diaspora that unravels as a marvel. They single out the nuanced performances by Greta Lee and John Magaro, along with the balance of wit and grief, for praise. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/past-lives) - **Radio Times**, James Mottram (4/5): The critic describes it as a graceful, sensitive movie about unrequited passions and choices. They single out its sophisticated avoidance of histrionics, use of language barriers in a devastating scene, and beautiful performances and shooting. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-uz8mt9/past-lives/) - **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (80/100, inferred): The critic describes the film as a calm but moving debut that meditates on transplantation and transience rather than being a conventional love story. It highlights the director’s cautious, superfine style and the rich questions it raises about identity and experience. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/06/12/past-lives-movie-review-squaring-the-circle) - **Vulture** (30/100, inferred): The critic finds the film tasteful and understated but ultimately calculated and unconvincing, describing it as a lopsided love story that feels shrewd and artificial beneath its wistful surface rather than transcendent. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/past-lives-review-tasteful-understated-and-unconvincing.html) - **Evening Standard**, Charlotte O'Sullivan: Song’s autobiographical indie drama more than lives up to the Oscar hype as an original, wry and hauntingly tender story of a woman who can’t shake her first crush. It shares the lo-fi intensity of classics like Brief Encounter while complicating notions of romance through an earthy, flawed protagonist and universal themes. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/past-lives-movie-review-oscar-celine-song-south-korea-b1105445.html) - **Financial Times**: The review describes the film as an elegantly assured and wryly moving debut that investigates the rich back-story of its characters across decades and continents. It highlights the sensitive acting, especially by Greta Lee, and the director’s control of subtle, adult material. [Read](https://www.ft.com/content/1fcd77be-19ab-406b-a50a-8dea55d6fba3) - **Screen Daily**: The critic calls it an utterly assured feature debut, a wise and wistful film with superb performances, especially Greta Lee's radiant one. They single out its elegant, realistic treatment of fate, chance and love without fantastical elements. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/past-lives-sundance-review/5178363.article) - **Sight and Sound**: The critic calls it an astonishing debut that luminously captures a world-spanning, decades-long love story with remarkable control and sensitivity. They single out the film's breadth of understanding, from performances to subtle symbolism and mood-perfect cinematography. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/past-lives-this-astonishing-debut-luminously-captures-world-spanning-decades-long-love-story) - **Slant Magazine**, Pat Brown: The critic describes the film as a quietly philosophical celebration of time’s passage that builds profundity from ordinariness and embraces irreversible change. They single out the deliberate imagery and visual rhymes that illustrate how past connections evolve without being negated. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/past-lives-review-celine-song/) - **The Guardian**, Mark Kermode: The critic calls Celine Song’s debut a supremely confident spine-tingling gem about unresolved affection between childhood sweethearts separated by time and distance. They praise its blend of metaphysical themes with matter-of-fact storytelling and the subtle performances of the lead cast. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/sep/10/past-lives-celine-song-review-a-spine-tingling-romance-of-lost-chances-korea-canada-new-york-doomed-love) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, David Rooney: The critic hails Celine Song's assured debut as an exquisite original with multilayered beauty and emotional depth, structured as a triptych across decades and continents that probes love, fate, regret, and parallel lives without melodrama. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/past-lives-review-greta-lee-celine-song-1235310132/) - **The New York Times**, Manohla Dargis (Critic’s Pick): The critic finds the film a wistful what-if story about childhood friends reconnecting across decades and continents. It praises the subtle performances and thoughtful exploration of friendship, love, regret, and living in the present. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/01/movies/past-lives-review.html) - **NME**, Alex Flood (5/5): The critic calls the film summer's best, praising its quiet power, subtle cleverness and emotional depth in wordless scenes and a witty script, while noting its humor and the moving finale. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/past-lives-review-a24-greta-lee-3495175) - **The Skinny**, Ross McIndoe (★★★★★): The review highlights the film's deep melancholy and hopefulness in depicting star-crossed friends and imperfect loves, commending the lived-in performances and thoughtful script without melodrama. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/past-lives-2023-review) - **Consequence** (A): Past Lives is an unforgettable film about fate, love, and stories, with every detail perfectly defined. The critic singles out the precise direction, loving attention to small moments, and the perfect casting and chemistry of the small ensemble. [Read](https://consequence.net/2023/06/past-lives-review-a24/) - **Collider**, Ross Bonaime (9/10): Celine Song’s debut is a heartbreakingly romantic and masterfully crafted film, one of the year’s best. The critic singles out the delicate handling of time, relationships, and the concept of inyeon, along with strong performances from the lead trio. [Read](https://collider.com/past-lives-review/) - **/Film**, Chris Evangelista (9/10): Celine Song's debut is a stunning, melancholy and contemplative drama about two people who keep missing their chance to be together. It excels in its dreamy pacing, rich sound design and real chemistry between the leads. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/1175572/past-lives-review-celine-songs-achingly-beautiful-contemplative-drama-is-a-must-see-sundance/) - **The Playlist**, Alani Vargas (A-): Celine Song delivers a bittersweet and stunning romance in her debut, exploring fate and past connections through the concept of in-yun. The critic praises the subtle performances and the meaningful roles people play in each other's lives, even without romantic union. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/past-lives-review-sundance-20230122/) - **The Wrap** (90/100, inferred): The review describes the film as an exquisitely wistful drama that explores themes of identity, migration, love, and fate with honesty and precision. It singles out the lead performance and the director's wise, emotionally resonant storytelling for praise. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/past-lives-review-greta-lee-john-magaro-teo-yoo/) - **Deadline**, Damon Wise (85/100, inferred): The review praises Celine Song's debut as an elegant and mesmerizing character piece about love in the modern age. It highlights the film's thoughtful handling of a woman's self-discovery amid rekindled connections from the past, avoiding melodramatic tropes. [Read](https://deadline.com/2023/01/sundance-film-festival-review-celine-song-past-lives-1235236093/) - **Den of Geek**, David Crow (80/100, inferred): The critic highlights the film's delicate grace and achingly beautiful triumph in exploring bittersweet romance and life choices, focusing on John Magaro's empathetic performance as the husband Arthur who recognizes his supporting role in the story. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/past-lives-john-magaro-arthur-saint/) - **HeyUGuys**, Liam Macleod (75/100, inferred): The film is a small but sweet story of big emotions centered on a brief reunion between childhood sweethearts. It grounds its dialogue in the Korean concept of Inyun while highlighting the significance of ordinary moments and unfulfilled connections. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/past-lives-review/) - **Paste**, Jacob Oller (8.8): Past Lives is a brilliantly bittersweet and impossibly romantic debut that reaches a heartrending acceptance of our inability to have it all. The critic praises Song’s precise writing, delicate scene-crafting, and exploration of love, time, decisions, and connections. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/celine-song/past-lives-review) ## Details - **Director:** Celine Song - **Director:** Celine Song - **Writer:** Celine Song - **Cinematography:** Shabier Kirchner - **Editor:** Keith Fraase - **Music:** Christopher Bear, Daniel Rossen - **Production design:** Grace Yun - **Costume design:** Katina Danabassis - **Producer:** Pamela Koffler, David Hinojosa, Christine Vachon - **Cast:** Greta Lee as Nora; Teo Yoo as Hae Sung; John Magaro as Arthur; Moon Seung-ah as Young Nora; Leem Seung-min as Young Hae Sung; Yoon Ji-hye as Nora's Mom; Choi Won-young as Nora's Dad; Ahn Min-young as Hae Sung's Mom - **Runtime:** 1h 46m - **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13 - **Release (the US):** 30 June 2023 - **Genres:** Drama, Romance - **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Nominee, 2023); [Golden Globe Best Drama winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-drama.md) (Nominee, 2023) - **Budget:** $12 million - **Box office:** $28 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA244xewjcI ## Where to watch in the US - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, sd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $19.99, uhd *Checked 2026-09-10.* Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, DE, DK, EC, ES, FI, FR, GB, IE, IN, IT, JP, KR, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PL, PT, SE, TH, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 2024: Best Picture (nominated); Best Writing, Original Screenplay (nominated) ## If you liked this - *In the Mood for Love* (2000), Fi1m 91: Wong Kar-wai’s Hong Kong neighbours never touch; the corridors do the talking. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/in-the-mood-for-love.md) - *Brief Encounter* (1945), Fi1m 90: A railway buffet, a speck of grit, and two people who behave themselves. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter.md) - *Before Sunset* (2004), Fi1m 91: Nine years on, one afternoon in Paris, and every word is a decision. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/before-sunset.md) - *Columbus* (2017), Fi1m 82: Two strangers walk around Indiana architecture and say less than they mean. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/columbus.md) - *The Worst Person in the World* (2021), Fi1m 84: Oslo, a woman who cannot pick, and a film that refuses to blame her. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-worst-person-in-the-world.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/past-lives