Past Lives | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

95% Tomatometer 315 Reviews 93% Popcornmeter 500+ Verified Ratings

Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrest apart after Nora's family emigrates from South Korea. Two decades later, they are reunited in New York for one fateful week as they confront notions of destiny, love, and the choices that make a life, in this heartrending modern romance.

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Past Lives

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Critics Consensus

A remarkable debut for writer-director Celine Song, Past Lives uses the bonds between its sensitively sketched central characters to support trenchant observations on the human condition.

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Audience Says

Moving in its subtlety, Past Lives is a mature love story that feels powerfully real.

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Critics Reviews

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Past Lives | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Christina Newland iNews.co.uk Celine Song's debut film is a powerful metaphor for the two selves that exist within immigrants. Rated: 4/5 Sep 18, 2024 Full Review Past Lives | Rotten Tomatoes (2) Jae-Ha Kim Salon.com In this extraordinary Academy Award-nominated film “Past Lives,” the Korean concept of inyeon is used to lead viewers into believing that Nora and Hae-sung are destined to be together – if not in this lifetime, then in the future. Rated: 4/4 Mar 8, 2024 Full Review Past Lives | Rotten Tomatoes (3) A.A. Dowd IGN Movies Never risking discomfort, Song flattens a real-life anecdote of any truly messy feelings, resulting in a tone poem quasi-romance that’s actually serene to a fault. It’s a good movie too chronically polite to achieve anything like greatness. Rated: 7/10 Mar 4, 2024 Full Review Past Lives | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Tanzim Pardiwalla Filmfare Prepare to be drawn into the deeply moving drama created by Song’s atmospheric world. Sep 20, 2024 Full Review Past Lives | Rotten Tomatoes (5) William Stottor Loud and Clear Reviews Celine Song announces herself as a major voice in cinema with Past Lives, her divine and complex reflection on enduring love. Rated: 5/5 Sep 3, 2024 Full Review Past Lives | Rotten Tomatoes (6) Calum Cooper Cinerama Film It is a heartbreaking film that is so masterfully made and profoundly sincere that you want to stay in its world regardless of the emotional cost. Rated: 5/5 Jul 19, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jason Such an original and heartfelt movie! Easily Best Picture of the Year! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/09/24 Full Review KELLY Too many long, very long pauses. The story was slow. Very disappointed. Rated 1/5 Stars • Rated 1 out of 5 stars 03/04/24 Full Review Kimberly Very good movie. The acting was great but I wish it had more music to go with it instead of all the dead silence. It would have been nice to have seen her getting married instead of just talking about it. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/02/24 Full Review Claire It's a very adult love story. It addresses a plethora of real-life questions (certainly not unique to the particular situation portrayed), offering no easy answers, and refusing to pander to romantic movie tropes or racial stereotypes. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/17/24 Full Review Vince The movie was relatable. Even if you feel it’s not relatable, it will be nostalgic since it will bring you the feels from when you were younger. Great movie Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/11/24 Full Review Robert E Such an excellent movie! Sad, but tender, heartfelt and extremely well-paced. The story is universal, as we all carry memories from our childhood that we question how to navigate in our present lives. I discovered that this is the director's first movie. She shows tremendous promise for her future endeavors. I recommend this movie to anyone who wants to better understand their relationships with others, as well as with themselves. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/04/24 Full Review Read all reviews

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Cast & Crew

Celine Song Director Greta Lee Nora Teo Yoo Hae Sung John Magaro Arthur Seung-ah Moon Young Nora Seung-Min Yim Young Hae Sung
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Past Lives

Past Lives: Movie Clip - When Is He Leaving? Past Lives: Movie Clip - When Is He Leaving? 1:22 View more videos

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Synopsis Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrest apart after Nora's family emigrates from South Korea. Two decades later, they are reunited in New York for one fateful week as they confront notions of destiny, love, and the choices that make a life, in this heartrending modern romance.

Director
Celine Song

Producer
David Hinojosa, Christine Vachon, Pamela Koffler

Screenwriter
Celine Song

Distributor
A24

Production Co
CJ ENM Co., Killer Films, A24, 2AM, The Searchers NV

Rating
PG-13 (Some Strong Language)

Genre
Romance, Drama

Original Language
English

Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 30, 2023, Wide

Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 22, 2023

Box Office (Gross USA)
$9.9M

Runtime
1h 46m

Sound Mix
Dolby Digital

Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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