“It’s an In-Yun if two strangers even walk by each other in the street and their clothes accidentally brush. Because it means there must have been something between them in their past lives. If two people get married, they say it’s because there have been 8,000 layers of In-Yun over 8,000 lifetimes.”

 – Nora, Past Lives

Past Lives, directed by Celine Song, was released in 2023. The film follows the lives of two individuals, Nora and Hae-Sung, childhood friends who grew up in South Korea. The two have an inseparable bond. That was until Nora and her family immigrated to Canada at twelve years old. All contact between Nora and Hae-Sung was lost, but their yearning for one another never left.

Twelve years later, Nora became a writer and moved to New York City. On the other hand, Hae-Sung is an engineer in South Korea. On a random evening, Nora was scrolling through Facebook, and stumbled upon a comment Hae-Sung had made on her dad’s post, asking for her. She immediately sent a friend request, and the two reconnected after many years. Even though it had been over a decade since they had talked, their spark was never lost. They talked daily and developed chemistry with one another. However, the relationship they had rebuilt had come to an end when Nora decided it’s best to not take things further and focus on her future, as it was clear they wanted different things in life.

Another twelve years later, Nora is now married to Arthur who is also a writer. After years of not talking with Hae-Sung, Nora gets a message from Hae-Sung. He plans to visit New York and with respect to her marriage, asked if she was willing to meet up. Nora agreed, excited to see her childhood friend again. However, Hae-Sung’s trip to New York was actually a search for closure. Hae-Sung had always believed Nora was the missing piece in what he thought, an unfulfilling life. Will the two finally get the closure they need? Or will their reunion bring their spark back, making them question what could have been? 

This romantic drama explores the themes of love, life, fate, and acceptance. Past Lives is truly a bittersweet, but beautiful film that taught me that you can say goodbye and grow on your own, while also holding onto the memories and the people who were once a big part of your life. This film shows that letting go doesn’t mean forgetting, but moving forward with love.