This review contains spoilers
As I take my seat in the Cameo Picture House, I prepare to introduce myself to ‘Past Lives’. I watched the film's trailer, the typical romantic drama with a tangible sweetness yet a surface-level story. That’s what I thought anyway – imagine my shock when I discovered the film is gorgeously nuanced with slow-burning storytelling, accordingly becoming one of my favourite films of 2023.
‘Past Lives’, directed by Celine Song, explores the connection between childhood friends Na Young/Nora (Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo), who form a loveable bond only for their connection to be torn away. This may sound mundane, yet the film proceeds to follow the growth and decay of their relationship over 24 years. While nothing majorly heart-breaking or dramatic occurs, the silence and slow realisations of life throughout the film leave you feeling poignantly moved as the credits roll.
The film commences with a shot of three people talking in a bar as another group analyses them. The people watching contemplate their relation to one another and what brought them together. Little do we know, the people they’re watching are the three protagonists – 24 years in the future.
We’re snapped back to Seoul, South Korea, where we learn about 12-year-olds Na Young and Hae Sung’s connection. There’s a typical awkward affection towards each other that develops into their parents convincing one another to go on a date. Their growing bond is ripped away as Na Young immigrates to Toronto, changing her name to Nora Moon in the process.
12 years pass as Nora begins to find her feet after moving to New York. Out of curiosity, she searches for Hae Sung online, only to discover he made a post on Facebook in search of her. One message turned into one video call, which turned into months of contact. Suddenly two childhood sweethearts have rekindled their bond. The sequence beautifully captures their growing connection, as Hae Sung leaves his friend early to talk to her, while Nora stays up into the early hours – yet, it must end. Nora cuts contact as she explains after building a life for herself in New York she now finds herself moving backwards as she looks for flights to Seoul. Once again, they slip away.
Soon after, Nora attends a writer retreat where she meets Arthur (John Magaro). In their first conversation, she mentions the idea of In-Yun, the Korean concept of reincarnation. People briefly encounter each other during multiple past lives, which builds up to these people meeting in the current life today. The concept is laughed off between them but is something which becomes pivotal as the movie progresses.
Just like that, another 12 years pass. Nora is married to Arthur, meanwhile, Hae Sung separates from his partner with a plan to have a holiday in New York. While undisclosed, there’s an obvious motive to see Nora. The duo which has been physically separated for over two decades reunite in a beautifully awkward sequence which captures the joy and uncertainty of rekindling a past connection.
Despite the apparent bond Nora and Hae Sung have, Arthur is incredibly understanding. He’s a greatly written character who understands the importance of this connection to Nora, confessing that he holds no right to be angry when Hae Sung has flown across the world to see her. Hae Sung clearly reignites a part of her upbringing and childhood that has dimmed over the years.
The three of them agree to have dinner, transporting us to the same bar in the opening scene. Nora consistently translates Korean and English between the two men. However, the translation begins to disintegrate as Nora and Hae Sung fall into a deep conversation about In-Yun, excluding Arthur. While you cannot help but feel pity for Arthur, Nora and Hae Sung’s conversation is incredibly touching and feels warranted after the extensive journey they’ve been through.
While Nora steps outside, Hae Sung and Arthur talk alone. Despite the palpable awkwardness and language barrier, Hae Sung apologises for the lengthy conversation with Nora, yet Arthur understands and thanks him for coming to New York. While undoubtedly feeling pain, his ability to allow their connection to reignite adds to the emotional complexity viewers feel, as there is no clear character to root for.
As dinner comes to an end, Nora walks Hae Sung to his Uber as it’s time to leave New York. They walk together in silence and wait for the Uber to arrive; there is a beautiful building tension that grows between them, as you can tell they feel unsure of what to do at this moment. While viewers might expect them to kiss, when the Uber arrives Hae Sung asks “What if this is a past life as well, and we are already something else to each other in our next life? Who do you think we are then?” Although they are both unsure, Hae Sung tells Nora he’ll see her then.
She lingers, then walks home. As she enters the building and sees Arthur, she breaks down into tears. The film comes to an end.
Past Lives is a beautiful film which captures how questioning 'what if?' can haunt our brains every single day. What if you didn’t make that one decision? Would your life still be how it is today?
While Hae Sung and Nora ultimately reach acceptance that they can’t be together in this life, what if they just done one thing differently?
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