Possible Love
| Possible Love | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Hangul | 가능한 사랑 |
| RR | Ganeunghan sarang |
| MR | Kanŭnghan sarang |
| Directed by | Lee Chang-dong |
| Written by |
|
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Kim Ji-yong |
| Music by | Jung Jae-il |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Netflix |
Release dates |
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Running time | 164 minutes[1] |
| Countries |
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| Language | Korean |
Possible Love (Korean: 가능한 사랑) is a 2026 drama film directed by Lee Chang-dong, and co-written with Oh Jung-mi. A co-production of South Korea and the United States, starring Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Zo In-sung, and Cho Yeo-jeong, it follows the intertwined lives of two married couples leading completely opposite lives.
The film premiered in the main competition of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on September 6, 2026, where it won the Grand Jury Prize and the FIPRESCI Prize. It is scheduled to be theatrically released in South Korea on September 23, and in the United States on October 23, followed by a worldwide release by Netflix on November 6.
It was also selected as the South Korean entry for the Best International Feature Film category for the 99th Academy Awards.
Premise
[edit]A story of two married couples — a laid-off worker and his spouse, and a documentary filmmaker and her spouse — crossing paths to film a documentary and facing their different lives and hidden desires.[2]
Cast
[edit]- Jeon Do-yeon as Mi-ok
- Jo Yu-ri as young Mi-ok
- Sul Kyung-gu as Ho-seok
- Zo In-sung as Sang-woo
- Cho Yeo-jeong as Ye-ji
Production
[edit]A co-production by South Korea and United States, it's produced by Pinehouse Film, Anonymous Content and NOWFILM.[3]
The film was originally part of Maciej Musiał's project to remake all ten episodes of Krzysztof Kieślowski's Dekalog as feature films, alongside Asghar Farhadi's Parallel Tales.[4] According to Lee, once Netflix joined the project, the "project fell into an ambiguous state. Although this film originated from there, it does not adapt an episode of Dekalog and is a completely different story. However, it is related to one of the commandments."[5][6] Lee's first draft of what became Possible Love had been written over a decade prior. Upon reading the finished script, Netflix immediately signed on and "guaranteed [Lee] artistic autonomy."[6]
Jung Jae-il was hired to compose the score.[7]
Release
[edit]The film had its world premiere in the main competition of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on September 6, 2026,[2] where it won the FIPRESCI Prize.[8] It will also screen at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival,[9] and in the Main Slate of the 2026 New York Film Festival.[10]
Possible Love is scheduled to be released first in South Korean cinemas on September 23, followed by select US theaters on October 23, and a streaming worldwide release by Netflix on November 6.[11]
It was also selected as the South Korean entry for the Best International Feature Film category for the 99th Academy Awards, marking director Lee's fourth film selected, following Oasis (2002), Secret Sunshine (2007), and Burning (2018).[12]
Reception
[edit]Critical response
[edit]On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 34 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.8/10.[13] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 93 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[14]
Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, describing it as "a finely judged, beautifully acted and rather novelistic work".[15]
Accolades
[edit]| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venice Film Festival | September 12, 2026 | Golden Lion | Lee Chang-dong | Nominated | [16] |
| Grand Jury Prize | Won | [17] | |||
| FIPRESCI Prize | Won | [18] | |||
| ARCA CinemaGiovani Award for Best Film of Venezia 83 | Won | [19] | |||
| TIFF Tribute Awards | September 13, 2026 | Ebert Director Award | Honored | [20] | |
| Toronto International Film Festival | September 20, 2026 | International People's Choice Award | Possible Love | Runner-up | [21] |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ 가능한 사랑 (청소년관람불가) [Possible Love (Age Rating)]. Korea Media Rating Board. June 16, 2026. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
- 1 2 "Biennale Cinema 2026 | Ga-neung-han sa-rang (Possible love)". La Biennale di Venezia. June 29, 2026. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
- ↑ Ramachandran, Naman (August 4, 2025). "Lee Chang-dong Sets Return With Netflix's 'Possible Love,' First Feature Since 'Burning'". Variety. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
- ↑ "Maciej Musiał: Filmowy projekt życia. Wywiad okładkowy z GQ Poland". gq.pl (in Polish). Retrieved September 3, 2026.
- ↑ "동남아권 영화의 정체성에 대한 탐구". ㅇㅇ - ㅇㅇ (in Korean). Retrieved September 3, 2026.
- 1 2 Canfield, David (August 27, 2026). "A Deep Dive Into 'Possible Love': Lee Chang-dong on His Searingly Acted Study of Class and Filmmaking". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
- ↑ Reporter, Film Music (August 11, 2026). "Jung Jaeil Scoring Lee Chang-dong's 'Possible Love'". Film Music Reporter. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
- ↑ "Venice 2026 - FIPRESCI | The International Federation of Film Critics". Retrieved September 12, 2026.
- ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 20, 2026). "Toronto Film Festival Unveils First 2026 Lineups". Deadline. Retrieved July 20, 2026.
- ↑ Davis, Clayton (August 5, 2026). "New York Film Festival 2026 Lineup Unveiled: Chris Rock's 'Misty Green,' Andrew Haigh's 'A Long Winter' and More". Variety. Retrieved August 29, 2026.
- ↑ "Lee Chang-dong's 'Possible Love' Sets November 6 Netflix Release Ahead of Venice and Toronto Premieres". Netflix. July 27, 2026. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
- ↑ Naman Ramachandran (August 25, 2026). "Oscars: South Korea Selects Lee Chang-dong's 'Possible Love' for International Feature Race". Variety. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
- ↑ "Possible Love". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved September 23, 2026.
- ↑ "Possible Love". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved September 11, 2026.
- ↑ Bradshaw, Peter (September 6, 2026). "Possible Love review – a tale of two couples is finely judged study of exploitation and friendship". The Guardian. Retrieved September 6, 2026.
- ↑ Roxborough, Scott (July 23, 2026). "Robert Pattinson, Penélope Cruz, Alicia Vikander and Oasis Lead All-Star Venice Lineup". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 15, 2026.
- ↑ "이창동 '가능한 사랑' 베네치아영화제 심사위원대상". September 13, 2026. Retrieved September 13, 2026.
- ↑ "Venice 2026 - FIPRESCI | The International Federation of Film Critics". Retrieved September 12, 2026.
- ↑ "Biennale Cinema 2026 | Collateral Awards and Events of the 83rd Venice Film Festival". La Biennale di Venezia. September 12, 2026. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
- ↑ Davis, Clayton (July 29, 2026). "Penélope Cruz, Isabelle Huppert, Lee Chang-dong Among First TIFF Tribute Awards Honorees". Variety. Retrieved August 15, 2026.
- ↑ Erbland, Kate (September 20, 2026). "'La Bola Negra' Wins the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival People's Choice Award". TheWrap. Retrieved September 21, 2026.
