Past Lives

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2:24

Past Lives

PG-13

2023

1h 46m

Romance

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

95%

Tomatometer

321 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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Anna Smith

Rolling Stone UK

Oct 30

5/5

I’m happy to say that it does not disappoint -- it may be a slow-burner with no easy answers, but that’s one of its many strengths.

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Christina Newland

iNews.co.uk

09/18/2024

4/5

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

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Jae-Ha Kim

Salon.com

03/08/2024

4/4

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.

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Cate Young

Thirty, Flirty + Film

Nov 5

A first love is a precious thing. And despite the inherent irrationality, it can be hard to let go of the golden sheen that covers a fond memory. But that is precisely what Song guides her characters to achieve in her film.

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Matthew Koss

The Wandering Screen (YouTube)

Aug 15

A

Past Lives is romantic and daring, and both Greta Lee and Teo Yoo are exceptional.

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Guillermo Troncoso

Screen Realm

Aug 1

3.5/5

The build-up to their eventual reunion is long, and while it’s emotionally restrained by design, I found myself wanting deeper insights into their lives along the way... Still, when the final act arrives, it’s quietly powerful.

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Amy M

May 9

This movie was surprisingly touching and sad, in a "what might have been" kind of way. Despite much of the dialogue being in Korean, very enjoyable flick.

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Adam

Jan 15

Horrible boring stupid terrible worst movie ever maybe

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Jason

03/09/2024

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

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KELLY

03/04/2024

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

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Kimberly

03/02/2024

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.

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Claire

02/17/2024

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.

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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

Past Lives: Movie Clip - When Is He Leaving?

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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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