Past Lives

Past Lives is a 2023 American romantic drama film written and directed by Celine Song in her feature directorial debut. Starring Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, and John Magaro, the film follows the relationship between two childhood friends over the course of 24 years, as they contemplate their relationship when they grow apart to have different lives. The plot is semi-autobiographical and inspired by real events from Song's life. Past Lives had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2023, and was released theatrically in the United States on June 2, 2023. The film has received universal critical acclaim, with praise directed towards Song's writing and direction, visual style, and lead performances of Lee, Yoo, and Magaro. Plot In Seoul, South Korea, Na Young and Hae Sung are twelve-year-old classmates who develop an attraction for one another and go on a date set up by their parents. Shortly thereafter, Na Young's family emigrates to Toronto, where she changes her name to Nora Moon, and the two lose contact. Twelve years later in 2012, Hae Sung has finished his military service and Nora has emigrated to New York City. One day, Nora discovers on Facebook that Hae Sung had commented on a post that he was looking for Na Young, unaware of her name change. They reconnect through video calls but are unable to visit each other, as Nora will attend a writer's retreat in Montauk and Hae Sung is moving to China for a language exchange. Eventually, Nora tells Hae Sung they should stop talking for a while, as she wants to focus on her writing and her life in New York. At her retreat, Nora meets Arthur Zaturansky and they fall in love. Hae Sung also meets a woman, and they begin dating.