Past Lives (2023) - a quiet, soul-stirring meditation on love, timing, and the people we might have been.

Written and Directed by Celine Song

Nora (Na Young) played by Greta Lee

Hae Sung played by Teo Yoo

Arthur played by John Magaro

At its heart, it’s about two childhood friends whose bond spans continents, decades, and the blurry space between what’s real and what’s imagined. As their lives unfold separately, they circle back to each other - never quite aligned, never quite letting go.

The film delicately explores the ache of what ifs and almosts, not with melodrama, but with aching stillness. It asks whether the deep connections we form - no matter how it unfolds - can still be whole, still be meaningful.

The pacing is gentle, but emotionally devastating. It lingers on moments where words fail, where longing and love exist simultaneously with acceptance and distance.

More than a romance, it’s about identity, migration, growing up, and the bittersweet beauty of letting life take its course.

You’ll likely finish it feeling both full and hollow at once.

P.S. - can you get Kevin Bacon to Zone of Interest in 6 degrees?