From writer/director Lee Chang-dong (Burning) comes yet another story about class disparities in South Korea. While not as thrilling or dramatic as Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite, or as exceptionally comedic as Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice, Possible Love’s subtler, more restrained style gives the film a grounded reality and an indelible gravity. Beyond the exceptional direction and solid writing, the outstanding but mostly subdued acting in Possible Love reflects how the reserved nature of South Koreans often hides deep-seated emotions that cry to explode.
Jeon Do-yeon stars as Ahn Mi-ok, and Sul Kyung-gu portrays Choi Ho-seok, a married couple who often struggle to make ends meet as factory laborers and parents to their ten-year-old son, Cheol (Jung Seol). Ho-seok has been recovering from severe injuries incurred during a labor strike that turned violent due to the intervention of the local police. After the strike’s violence, Ho-seok and his co-workers are fired for insubordination. The company’s layoffs and firings have taken their toll on Ho-seok and his colleagues.
At a funeral for one of his former co-workers who committed suicide, Ho-seok and Mi-ok meet documentary filmmaker Lee Ye-ji, whose latest project is a documentary about the struggles of laborers. Ye-ji strikes up a friendly rapport with Mi-ok and invites her and Ho-seok to spend time with her and her husband, Sang-woo (Zo In-sung). As the two couples get better acquainted and Ye-ji and Mi-ok grow closer as friends, Ye-ji’s motives for the relationship seem more self-serving, and the class disparities become unavoidable.
Possible Love is a mostly slow-burning drama that occasionally has flashes of scorching moments, ultimately boiling over during the film’s climax. Lee Chang-dong, who co-wrote the screenplay with Oh Jung-mi, deliberately paces the film, letting the tensions build and drama unfold organically. Though the pace might be a bit too slow for some audiences with short attention spans, I found the entire affair quite compelling. I found this portrait of socio-economic differences in South Korea rather fascinating and affecting. I’d say it isn’t as exciting as the events in Parasite, but at the same time, this stylistic approach feels more realistic.
Every single cast member plays their role well. Still, I was most affected by Sul Kyung-gu as the obviously pained and nearly broken Choi Ho-seok, and Jeon Do-yeon as Ahn Mi-ok, his dutiful wife who struggles to remain the glue of the family. Sul Kyung-gu has a perfectly weathered face and uses flawless facial expressions to convey his despair and demoralization; when he needs to show more demonstrative emotions, his performance is heartbreaking. Jeon Do-yeon is more hopeful and struggles to maintain her strength and optimism, which makes her character more affecting when things unravel.
Possible Love may not be for everyone, but cinephiles who enjoy more deliberate, subtle expressions of art will appreciate this cogent and moving film. The movie has had a very limited theatrical run, but will be available to stream on Netflix on November 6, 2026. It is South Korea’s official entry for Best International Feature at next year’s Oscars. I highly recommend it.