Possible Love

Possible Love
Four people looking in different directions with one seating while the three are standing apart in a vast open land.
Release poster
Hangul
가능한 사랑
RRGaneunghan sarang
MRKanŭnghan sarang
Directed byLee Chang-dong
Written by
  • Lee Chang-dong
  • Oh Jung-mi
Produced by
  • Lee Joon-dong
  • David Levine
  • Chadwick Prichard
Starring
CinematographyKim Ji-yong
Edited byKim Da-won
Music byJung Jae-il
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • September 6, 2026 (2026-09-06) (Venice)
  • September 23, 2026 (2026-09-23) (South Korea)
  • October 23, 2026 (2026-10-23) (United States)
  • November 6, 2026 (2026-11-06) (Netflix)
Running time
164 minutes
Countries
  • South Korea
  • United States
LanguageKorean

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 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.

Possible Love 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 was theatrically released in South Korea on September 23, followed by the United States on October 23, and 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.

Plot

The automaker firm SP Heavy Industries, which runs a plant where respected welder Choi Ho-seok works, announces massive layoffs. The metalworkers' union rejects the cuts and barricades themselves on the factory roofs; the strike is broken when police commandos execute a brutal helicopter raid on the roofs, leading to the deaths of several of Ho-seok's friends. In the aftermath, Ho-seok and his fellow survivors are fired, and begin bitterly referring to themselves as "the dead" and to those who kept their jobs as "the living".

Two years later, a drunken Ho-seok reluctantly attends a funeral for the suicide of another of his co-workers. Ho-seok's wife, Ahn Mi-ok, a mask factory worker, and ten-year-old son Cheol also attend, alongside ambitious documentarian Lee Ye-ji and her wealthy husband Sang-woo. When Mi-ok confronts Ho-seok over his drinking, he notices Ye-ji training a camera on their argument. Infuriated by her intrusion, Ho-seok shouts at her. Embarrassed, Mi-ok steps outside and accidentally drops her loose wedding ring; Sang-woo helps her recover it. Observing the tensions between the couple, Ye-ji decides to make Ho-seok and Mi-ok the primary subjects of her next documentary, a film about the "invisible laborer," conceptualized in the wake of a vacation she and Sang-woo took to Qatar.

Ye-ji meets Mi-ok at an upscale café, hoping to entice Ho-seok to agree to the film. During their conversation, Mi-ok shares a childhood memory of playing with a hose at her mother's manual car wash job to catch a glimpse of a rainbow, only for her mother to angrily snatch the hose away out of fear Mi-ok would end up in such a lowly position. Seeing the power of the story, Ye-ji asks Mi-ok to retell it on camera. Mi-ok continues being interviewed by Ye-ji over several weeks as she recounts the events of the SP strike, which are shown throughout the film in flashbacks, and corroborated by various encounters with former SP workers. Wanting to overcome Ho-seok's reluctance to be interviewed, Ye-ji invites him, Mi-ok and Cheol for a weekend getaway at Sang-woo’s lavish estate on the west coast of Korea, where they are treated luxuriously.

Ho-seok finally agrees to sit for an interview, but demands that Mi-ok leave the room. On camera, he suffers a panic attack as he vents his bottled-up rage, revealing feelings of betrayal by his former union. He angrily denounces the slogans his union chanted, including "solidarity, struggle, and workers' rights", as "all bullshit". As the interview continues, Mi-ok and Sang-woo walk along the beach and partake in flirtatious conversation. Meanwhile, Cheol wanders into the groundskeeper's shed and watches the four adults through the house's closed-circuit television cameras, observing in silence. Cheol befriends the groundskeeper and Mi-ok later witnesses him standing alongside the groundskeeper hosing down a bush, forming a rainbow. One night at dinner, Mi-ok and Ye-ji both share memories from their youth of staring at the full moon in the night's sky.

Mi-ok's trust in Ye-ji fades after she surreptitiously follows Ho-seok out of the house into the forest to find him screaming and writhing on the ground, only to turn around and discover Ye-ji had followed her with a camera. After Sang-woo closes a major deal with a client, Mi-ok and Sang-woo's flirtations culminate with the two skinny-dipping on the beach; as they exit the water, Mi-ok taunts Sang-woo with her clothing in a manner reminiscent to a bullfight, and then leaves. The two return to the estate to find Ye-ji conducting another emotionally charged interview with Ho-seok, at which point Mi-ok demands that filming cease and tells her husband that their family must leave. As they depart, Cheol waves goodbye to the groundskeeper from their car's back seat, revealing that he stole a valuable whistle from the estate.

As they drive home, news breaks that SP Heavy Industries has been acquired by an American private equity firm, limiting Ho-seok's hopes of ever regaining his job. This leads to the possibility that Sang Woo's company is the one that bought out SP Heavy Industries. When Mi-ok and Ho-seok arrive at their house, Mi-ok discovers that Ye-ji has texted her asking if they safely arrived home. She considers replying with a picture of the full moon in the sky but ultimately leaves it unsent.

Cast

Production

A co-production by South Korea and United States, the film is produced by Pinehouse Film, Anonymous Content and NOWFILM.

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. 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." 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."

Jung Jae-il was hired to compose the score.

Release

The film had its world premiere in the main competition of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on September 6, 2026, where it won the FIPRESCI Prize. It also screened at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, and in the Main Slate of the 2026 New York Film Festival.

Possible Love was released first in South Korean cinemas through Next Entertainment World on September 23; followed by select U.S. theaters on October 23, and released worldwide by Netflix on November 6.

Possible Love had its Dutch premiere on October 10 at the Leiden International Film Festival, making it the only theatrical screening in the Benelux.

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).

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 98% of 90 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.8/10. The website's critical consensus states: "A perfectly poised drama that's seething with the chaos of modernity beneath its polished surface, Possible Love is a masterful exploration of fidelity and inequality from director Lee Chang-dong". Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 95 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".

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".

Accolades

Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Venice Film Festival September 12, 2026 Golden Lion Lee Chang-dong Nominated
Grand Jury Prize Won
FIPRESCI Prize Won
ARCA CinemaGiovani Award for Best Film of Venezia 83 Won
TIFF Tribute Awards September 13, 2026 Ebert Director Award Honored
Toronto International Film Festival September 20, 2026 International People's Choice Award Possible Love Runner-up
Mill Valley Film Festival October 3, 2026 Auteur Award Lee Chang-dong Honored
Marie Claire Asia Star Awards October 7, 2026 Actor of the Year Award Zo In-sung Won
Montclair Film Festival October 18, 2026 Fiction Feature Competition Possible Love Won
Korean Association of Film Critics Awards November 4, 2026 Top 10 Films of the Year Won
Best Film Won
Best Actress Jeon Do-yeon Won
Blue Dragon Film Awards November 25, 2026 Best Actress Pending
Best Actor Sul Kyung-gu Pending
Best Supporting Actor Zo In-sung Pending
Best Supporting Actress Cho Yeo-jeong Pending
Best Screenplay Lee Chang-dong, Oh Jung-mi Pending
Best Editing Kim Da-won Pending
Best Cinematography and Lighting Kim Ji-yong, Jo Gwon-su Pending
Best Music Jung Jae-il Pending
Gotham Independent Film Awards November 30, 2026 Best International Feature Lee Chang-dong, Lee Joon-dong, David Levine, Chadwick Prichard Pending
Best Original Screenplay Lee Chang-dong and Oh Jung-mi Pending
Outstanding Lead Performance Jeon Do-yeon Pending
British Independent Film Awards December 6, 2026 Best International Independent Film Lee Chang-dong, Oh Jung-mi Pending

See also

References

  1. ↑ "가능한 사랑" (청소년관람불가) [Possible Love (19)]. Korea Media Rating Board. September 9, 2026. Retrieved October 10, 2026.
  2. 1 2 "Biennale Cinema 2026 | Ga-neung-han sa-rang (Possible love)". La Biennale di Venezia. June 29, 2026. Archived from the original on July 23, 2026. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
  3. 1 2 Kim, E. Tammy (October 12, 2026). "Cinema of Wayward Souls". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on October 12, 2026. Retrieved October 12, 2026.
  4. ↑ Ki-hoon, Moon (September 30, 2026). "The strike that inspired 'Possible Love'". The Korea Herald. Retrieved October 12, 2026.
  5. ↑ Kim, Saet-byeol (November 28, 2025). [단독] '오겜' 조유리, '거장' 이창동 만났다...영화 '가능한 사랑' 합류 [[Exclusive] Squid Game Jo Yu-ri meets 'master' Lee Chang-dong...joining the film Possible Love]. The Fact (in Korean). Retrieved November 6, 2026.
  6. ↑ Yoon, Hyo-jung (November 6, 2026). [단독] '가능한 사랑' 설경구 아역 최민, 이병헌·김고은과 BH엔터 한솥밥 [[Exclusive] Possible Love Sul Kyung-gu's child actor Choi Min joins BH Entertainment, under same company with Lee Byung-hun and Kim Go-eun]. News1 (in Korean). Retrieved November 6, 2026.
  7. ↑ Ramachandran, Naman (August 4, 2025). "Lee Chang-dong Sets Return With Netflix's 'Possible Love,' First Feature Since 'Burning'". Variety. Archived from the original on August 21, 2025. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Maciej Musiał: Filmowy projekt życia. Wywiad okładkowy z GQ Poland". gq.pl (in Polish). Retrieved September 3, 2026.
  9. ↑ "동남아권 영화의 정체성에 대한 탐구". ㅇㅇ - ㅇㅇ (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 4, 2026. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
  10. 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. Archived from the original on September 10, 2026. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
  11. ↑ Reporter, Film Music (August 11, 2026). "Jung Jaeil Scoring Lee Chang-dong's 'Possible Love'". Film Music Reporter. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Venice 2026 - FIPRESCI | The International Federation of Film Critics". Archived from the original on September 13, 2026. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  13. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 20, 2026). "Toronto Film Festival Unveils First 2026 Lineups". Deadline. Archived from the original on July 23, 2026. Retrieved July 20, 2026.
  14. ↑ 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. Archived from the original on August 30, 2026. Retrieved August 29, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Lee Chang-dong's 'Possible Love' Sets November 6 Netflix Release Ahead of Venice and Toronto Premieres". Netflix. July 27, 2026. Archived from the original on July 28, 2026. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Possible Love". LIFF.
  17. ↑ Naman Ramachandran (August 25, 2026). "Oscars: South Korea Selects Lee Chang-dong's 'Possible Love' for International Feature Race". Variety. Archived from the original on September 13, 2026. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Possible Love". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 6, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Possible Love". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  20. ↑ 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.
  21. ↑ Roxborough, Scott (July 23, 2026). "Robert Pattinson, Penélope Cruz, Alicia Vikander and Oasis Lead All-Star Venice Lineup". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 23, 2026. Retrieved August 15, 2026.
  22. ↑ "이창동 '가능한 사랑' 베네치아영화제 심사위원대상". September 13, 2026. Archived from the original on September 14, 2026. Retrieved September 13, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Venice 2026 - FIPRESCI | The International Federation of Film Critics". Archived from the original on September 13, 2026. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  24. ↑ "Biennale Cinema 2026 | Collateral Awards and Events of the 83rd Venice Film Festival". La Biennale di Venezia. September 12, 2026. Archived from the original on September 14, 2026. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
  25. ↑ Davis, Clayton (July 29, 2026). "Penélope Cruz, Isabelle Huppert, Lee Chang-dong Among First TIFF Tribute Awards Honorees". Variety. Archived from the original on August 31, 2026. Retrieved August 15, 2026.
  26. ↑ Erbland, Kate (September 20, 2026). "'La Bola Negra' Wins the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival People's Choice Award". TheWrap. Retrieved September 21, 2026.
  27. ↑ "제49회 밀밸리영화제(MVFF49)'에서 공로상 격인'MVFF 어터상(Auteur Award)'을 수상한다". July 23, 2026. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
  28. ↑ "'마리끌레르 아시아스타어워즈 2026', 아름다운 수상의 순간들!" (in Korean). October 8, 2026. Retrieved October 15, 2026.
  29. ↑ "The Montclair Film Festival Presented by Volvo Car USA Announces 2026 Honors". Montclair Film. September 17, 2026. Archived from the original on September 24, 2026. Retrieved September 24, 2026.
  30. ↑ Kim Ji-hye (October 19, 2026). "Jeon Do-yeon, Zo In-sung Win Best Lead Actor Awards at Korean Association of Film Critics Awards; Hyun Bin, Shin Hye-sun Win New OTT Categories". SBS. Retrieved October 21, 2026.
  31. ↑ "'가능한 사랑', 영평상 최우수작품상…'호프' 나홍진 감독상 등 3관왕". October 19, 2026. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
  32. ↑ Jo Ji-young (October 28, 2026). "[청룡영화상] 10개 최다 노미 '호프'vs1693만 '왕과 사는 남자' 빅매치, 청룡 후보 공개(종합)" [[Blue Dragon Film Awards] Big Match Between Record-Breaking 10 Nominations 'Hope' vs. 16.93 Million Viewers 'The Man Who Lives with King', Blue Dragon Nominees Revealed (Roundup)]. Sports Chosun (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved October 28, 2026.
  33. ↑ Goldsmith, Jill (October 27, 2026). "Gotham Awards Film Nominations Le by 'The Invite', 'Tender Loving Care', 'All of a Sudden' & More". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 27, 2026.
  34. ↑ Ntim, Zac (November 3, 2026). "British Independent Film Awards: 'Elsinore' Leads Nominations". Deadline. Retrieved November 3, 2026.