Overview
A poignant reunion stirs deep emotions and questions of fate and love.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- wistful
- melancholic
- intimate
- date night
- quiet evening
What critics said
Critics broadly acclaimed Celine Song’s restrained, intimate direction and emotionally complex treatment of love, fate, migration, and unrealized possibilities.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Nora and Hae Sung’s connection is defined by separation, reunion, and the imagined possibility of a shared life alongside Nora’s marriage to Arthur.
Nora’s move from South Korea and later life in New York shape her name, ambitions, relationships, and sense of belonging.
The film emphasizes modest locations, quiet conversations, and feelings conveyed indirectly rather than through melodramatic confrontation.
Nora and Hae Sung are shown as childhood friends, reconnect online as adults, and meet again in New York many years later.
Films like Past Lives, and why
In the Mood for Love
restrained romantic drama about emotional timing, missed connection, and the lives people imagine they might have shared
Before Sunset
intimate relationship drama shaped by time, memory, and conversations that reveal more than declarations
The Worst Person in the World
bittersweet contemporary romance about alternate paths, unrealized futures, and enduring emotional bonds
Marriage Story
quietly observational romantic drama balancing marriage, longing, and the tension between past and present selves
Movie Details
- Director
- Celine Song
- Release Date
- 2023-06-02
- Runtime
- 106 min
- Rating
- 7.7 / 10 (2481)
Cast
- Greta Lee
- Teo Yoo
- John Magaro
- Moon Seung-ah
- Leem Seung-min
- Yoon Ji-hye
- Choi Won-young
- An Min-young
- Seo Yeon-woo
- Chang Ki-ha
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Rakuten Viki, Spectrum On Demand, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Past Lives about?
- A poised, aching romance about childhood soulmates confronting the lives, loves, and identities created by years of separation.
- What is Past Lives like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Past Lives as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Past Lives violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Past Lives.
- What did critics think of Past Lives?
- Critics broadly acclaimed Celine Song’s restrained, intimate direction and emotionally complex treatment of love, fate, migration, and unrealized possibilities.
- Which films are like Past Lives?
- Films with a similar feel include In the Mood for Love, Before Sunset, The Worst Person in the World, and Marriage Story.
- How long is Past Lives?
- Past Lives runs 106 minutes.
- Where can I watch Past Lives?
- In United States, Past Lives is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Rakuten Viki, Spectrum On Demand, Plex.
