Past Lives
Movie, 2023, The 2020s, Set in Seoul and New York
Past Lives is #29 of 37 in release order and #29 of 37 in chronological order in the A24.
The story
After decades apart, childhood friends Nora and Hae Sung are reunited in New York for one fateful weekend as they confront notions of destiny, love, and the choices that make a life.
Past Lives recap
Past Lives (2023) follows two childhood sweethearts from Seoul, separated when one emigrates, across 24 years of near misses. Celine Song writes and directs her first feature, drawing on her own life. In 1999, 12-year-old Na Young and Hae Sung are classmates and rivals with a crush; her family moves to Canada and she becomes Nora. Twelve years later Nora Moon (Greta Lee), now a playwright in New York, finds that Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) has been looking for her online. They reconnect over long video calls, but neither can visit, and Nora calls it off to focus on her life. At a writers' retreat in Montauk she meets Arthur Zaturansky (John Magaro), tells him about inyeon, the Korean idea that people meet because of ties built over thousands of past lives, and marries him. Twelve more years on, Hae Sung comes to New York for a week. The film stands alone.
Past Lives ending explained
Past Lives ends with Nora walking Hae Sung to his ride on the last night. Earlier, at a bar, the two talk in Korean while Arthur sits apart, and Hae Sung wonders aloud what they were in past lives and what they might be in the next. Outside the apartment Nora and Hae Sung stand silently looking at each other until the car arrives; he says he will see her in the next life and drives off. Nora walks back toward home and breaks down crying in Arthur's arms. The film was nominated for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.
Post-credits scenes
No. Past Lives has no mid- or post-credits scene.
Where to watch Past Lives
Past Lives isn't on a US streaming service right now. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 7.8/10, Rotten Tomatoes 95%
Where it fits
- Release order: after Beef, before Talk to Me.
- Chronological order: after Beef, before Talk to Me.
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
- An Min-young as Hae Sung's Mom
- Seo Yeon-woo as Young Si Young
- Chang Ki-ha as Hae Sung's Friend 1
- Shin Hee-cheol as Hae Sung's Friend 2
- Park Jun-hyuk as Hae Sung's Friend 3
Directed by Celine Song.