Past Lives

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2:24

Past Lives

PG-13

Released Jun 30, 2023

1h 46m

Romance

Drama

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Popcornmeter

95%

Tomatometer

314 Reviews

93%

Popcornmeter

500+ Verified Ratings

Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrest apart after Nora's family emigrates from South Korea. Two decades later, they are reunited in New York for one fateful week as they confront notions of destiny, love, and the choices that make a life, in this heartrending modern romance.

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Critics Consensus

A remarkable debut for writer-director Celine Song, Past Lives uses the bonds between its sensitively sketched central characters to support trenchant observations on the human condition.

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Audience Says

Moving in its subtlety, Past Lives is a mature love story that feels powerfully real.

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Christina Newland

iNews.co.uk

Celine Song's debut film is a powerful metaphor for the two selves that exist within immigrants.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 18, 2024

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Jae-Ha Kim

Salon.com

In this extraordinary Academy Award-nominated film “Past Lives,” the Korean concept of inyeon is used to lead viewers into believing that Nora and Hae-sung are destined to be together – if not in this lifetime, then in the future.

Rated: 4/4

Mar 8, 2024

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A.A. Dowd

IGN Movies

Never risking discomfort, Song flattens a real-life anecdote of any truly messy feelings, resulting in a tone poem quasi-romance that’s actually serene to a fault. It’s a good movie too chronically polite to achieve anything like greatness.

Rated: 7/10

Mar 4, 2024

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Tanzim Pardiwalla

Filmfare

Prepare to be drawn into the deeply moving drama created by Song’s atmospheric world.

Sep 20, 2024

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William Stottor

Loud and Clear Reviews

Celine Song announces herself as a major voice in cinema with Past Lives, her divine and complex reflection on enduring love.

Rated: 5/5

Sep 3, 2024

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Calum Cooper

Cinerama Film

It is a heartbreaking film that is so masterfully made and profoundly sincere that you want to stay in its world regardless of the emotional cost.

Rated: 5/5

Jul 19, 2024

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Jason

Such an original and heartfelt movie! Easily Best Picture of the Year!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/09/24

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KELLY

Too many long, very long pauses. The story was slow. Very disappointed.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

03/04/24

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Kimberly

Very good movie. The acting was great but I wish it had more music to go with it instead of all the dead silence. It would have been nice to have seen her getting married instead of just talking about it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/02/24

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Claire

It's a very adult love story. It addresses a plethora of real-life questions (certainly not unique to the particular situation portrayed), offering no easy answers, and refusing to pander to romantic movie tropes or racial stereotypes.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/17/24

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Vince

The movie was relatable. Even if you feel it’s not relatable, it will be nostalgic since it will bring you the feels from when you were younger. Great movie

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/11/24

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Robert E

Such an excellent movie! Sad, but tender, heartfelt and extremely well-paced. The story is universal, as we all carry memories from our childhood that we question how to navigate in our present lives. I discovered that this is the director's first movie. She shows tremendous promise for her future endeavors. I recommend this movie to anyone who wants to better understand their relationships with others, as well as with themselves.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/04/24

Full Review

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Celine Song

Director

Greta Lee

Nora

Teo Yoo

Hae Sung

John Magaro

Arthur

Seung-ah Moon

Young Nora

Yim Seung-min

Young Hae Sung

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Past Lives: Movie Clip - When Is He Leaving?

1:22

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Past Lives: TV Spot - Destiny

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Past Lives: Trailer 1

2:24

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Synopsis

Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrest apart after Nora's family emigrates from South Korea. Two decades later, they are reunited in New York for one fateful week as they confront notions of destiny, love, and the choices that make a life, in this heartrending modern romance.

Director: Celine Song
Producer: David Hinojosa, Christine Vachon, Pamela Koffler
Screenwriter: Celine Song
Distributor: A24
Production Co: The Searchers NV, Killer Films, 2AM, A24, CJ ENM Co.
Rating: PG-13 (Some Strong Language)
Genre: Romance, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 30, 2023, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 22, 2023
Box Office (Gross USA): $9.9M
Runtime: 1h 46m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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