Pop Culture Advent 2023: Door 17

Past Lives

Continuing the theme of films I wish more people had seen, behind today’s door is the absolutely beautiful, Past Lives.

The film is a romantic drama, written and directed by playwright Celine Song, making it her feature film debut.

It tells the story of friends Na Young (The Morning Show’s Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Love to hate you’s Teo Yoo) as childhood friends who lose touch as Na’s (later known as Nora) family emigrate from South Korea to Toronto.

Years later, Nora and Hae Sung reconnect online, and begin to form a romantic and all consuming relationship. Life events and finances get in the way, and they realise that it’ll be at least a year before they can visit each other. By now Nora has moved to New York and wants to make a life for herself, and work on her career as a writer. She makes the painful decision to tell Hae Sung that they shouldn’t speak for a while.

Twelve years later, Nora is now married to a fellow writer called Arthur Zaturansky (John Magaro). However, Hae Sung contacts Nora saying that he’s in New York and wants them to meet up….

Past Lives is a film that I’d been hearing about for a while, due to its positive reception at the Sundance and Berlin Film Festivals. I was so excited to see it when it arrived at UK cinemas this past Autumn, and it more than lived up to its reputation.

There’s so much to love about this film, but I do particularly want to give a shout out the character of Arthur, Nora’s husband. He knows all too well that he’s the third wheel beween Hae Sung and Nora, and approaches this with a level of self-awareness that we don’t usually see.

Past Lives is a beautiful story about decades long friendship, lost loves, and missed moments. Do seek it out.

Past Lives is currently available to rent/buy on streaming platforms.

Pop Culture Advent DAY SIXTEEN — Carly Rae Jepsen @ O2 Academy, Glasgow.