Lee Chang-dong's Possible Love: reviews of a 164-minute class drama
Two centre outlets, Screen Rant and the Evening Standard, review Lee Chang-dong's Possible Love, his first film since Burning (2018). Both praise it as a long, humane drama about two couples from different classes in the aftermath of a factory strike.
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The story, neutrally told
Centre · 2Possible Love is the first feature in eight years from South Korean director Lee Chang-dong, whose previous film was Burning in 2018. Screen RantN “The Korean filmmaker's first feature since 2018's Burning” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Evening StandardN “the last was the excellent Burning with Beef’s Steven Yeun eight years ago” Read at Evening Standard ↗ Centre · 2The Evening Standard gives its running time as 164 minutes, and both reviewers say the film takes its time. Evening StandardN “there’s a hefty 164 minutes here” Read at Evening Standard ↗ Screen RantN “a slow, steady roll that wears its length” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Centre · 2The story opens at the funeral of a former SP Heavy Industries worker who killed himself, where Ho-seok (Sul Kyung-gu) and Mi-ok (Jeon Do-yeon), a sacked couple, meet Ye-ji (Cho Yeo-jeong). Ye-ji is filming a documentary about the dismissed workers. Screen RantN “The funeral is for a former colleague who has committed suicide.” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Evening StandardN “there is also a woman, Ye-ji (Parasite’s Cho Yeo-jeong), filming at the ceremony” Read at Evening Standard ↗
Centre · 2Ye-ji is married to the wealthy Sang-woo (Zo In-sung). Mi-ok agrees to be interviewed, but Ho-seok, who is traumatised, is reluctant. Evening StandardN “while Mi-ok cheerily does on-camera interviews, Ho-seok is reluctant to speak” Read at Evening Standard ↗ Screen RantN “Ye-ji, hoping to convince Ho-seok to open up, involves her husband Sang-woo” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Centre · 2Ye-ji draws the two couples closer together, and the Standard says this includes a weekend at Sang-woo's seaside holiday home, where the relationships come under strain. Evening StandardN “an invite for the weekend to Sang-woo’s opulent seaside holiday home” Read at Evening Standard ↗ Screen RantN “the film shifts locations and places the two couples' tensions under a microscope” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Centre · 1The Standard says the film was inspired by a real 2009 factory strike, a brutal police crackdown and mass lay-offs. Evening StandardN “Inspired by a real-life 2009 factory strike and ensuing brutal police crackdown followed by mass lay-offs” Read at Evening Standard ↗
Centre · 2Both reviews read the film as being about class and the dignity of work. Screen Rant sees the relationship between Mi-ok and Ye-ji as the way into those themes, and the Standard stresses what Ho-seok has lost. Screen RantN “Class is the great, looming specter between them” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Evening StandardN “the dignity through work he has lost is heart-crushing” Read at Evening Standard ↗ Centre · 2Both are strongly positive. Screen Rant calls the film a contender for the year's best ensemble and says it is one "you won't stop thinking about". The Standard calls it a "masterpiece" and says all four actors are superb, Jeon in particular. Screen RantN “Lee Chang-dong's Possible Love is a film you won't stop thinking about.” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Evening StandardN “all four actors, particularly Jeon, are superb” Read at Evening Standard ↗ Centre · 2The reviews make a few reservations. The Standard warns that patience may be tested and that the climax may strike some as melodramatic. Screen Rant notes that some might fault a film for feeling like another art form, such as a novel, but argues that such films are rare and exciting. Evening StandardN “(melodramatically, some might criticise)” Read at Evening Standard ↗ Screen RantN “Some might knock a movie for registering as another artform” Read at Screen Rant ↗
Centre · 2Release details differ by market. The Standard says the film screens at the London Film Festival on October 18 and goes on general release on October 23. Screen Rant says it opens in limited US theatres on October 23 and streams on Netflix from November 6. Evening StandardN “screening at the London Film Festival on October 18 and on general release from October 23” Read at Evening Standard ↗ Screen RantN “Possible Love releases in limited US theaters on October 23, and will be available to stream on Netflix from November 6.” Read at Screen Rant ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre2 outlets
- Framing
- Both centre outlets write admiring reviews. Screen Rant treats the film as a dense, novelistic meta-drama that rewards reflection. The Evening Standard, writing from the London Film Festival, calls it a humane Korean masterpiece about the dignity of work and marriage.
- Emphasis
- Screen Rant stresses the ensemble acting, the layered class dynamics between Mi-ok and Ye-ji, and the film's openness to interpretation. The Standard stresses the real 2009 strike behind the story, the 'dead' and 'living' workers, and Ho-seok's trauma.
- Leaves out or plays down
- The Standard does not discuss the film's form or its meta-documentary structure. Screen Rant does not mention the real-life strike that inspired the story or the London festival screening.
- Charged language
- “masterpiece”“Endless Food For Thought”“heart-crushing”
- For example
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“Possible Love Review: Exquisitely Detailed Meta-Drama Is Endless Food For Thought” — Screen Rant
“The dignity of work and marriage collide in a Korean masterpiece” — Evening Standard
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Possible Love is Lee Chang-dong's first feature since Burning (2018).
- The story centres on two couples from different social classes, Ho-seok and Mi-ok and Ye-ji and Sang-woo, brought together by Ye-ji's documentary about sacked SP Heavy Industries workers.
- Both outlets review the film very favourably and praise the four lead performances.
- Both give October 23 as the release date in their markets.
North America1 outlet
Screen Rant frames the film as a rewarding, novelistic work for a limited US theatrical run, followed by streaming on Netflix.
“If you have the chance to see this during its limited US theatrical run, take it” — Screen Rant
Screen Rant
UK and Ireland1 outlet
The Evening Standard reviews it as a London Film Festival title with a general UK release, and it stresses the real strike behind the story.
“Possible Love is screening at the London Film Festival on October 18” — Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre2 articles
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Screen RantN · · Opinion
Possible Love Review: Exquisitely Detailed Meta-Drama Is Endless Food For Thought
Celebratory Enthusiastic review that treats the film as a novelistic, layered work and praises its ensemble cast and ideas about class.
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Evening StandardN · · Opinion
Celebratory Festival review that calls the film a deeply humane masterpiece grounded in a real strike, with a mild warning about its length and melodrama.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 13 Oct 14:00 First Screen RantN Possible Love Review: Exquisitely Detailed Meta-Drama Is Endless Food For Thought Opinion
- 13 Oct 16:00 +2h 1m Evening StandardN Possible Love — London Film Festival review: The dignity of work and marriage collide in a Korean masterpiece Opinion
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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