![]() Nora and Hae Sung as children in "Past Lives." Photo courtesy of A24/TBA STUDIO ![]() In the Philippines, this could be translated to “tadhana.” This age-old Korean belief posits that connections between people are not merely coincidental, but fated or predetermined, signaling that the meaningful people in your life were destined to be there, as well as those whose presence would eventually fade away. Their encounter blossoms into a modern romance saturated with introspection and “what-ifs,” captured most vividly by the film's central theme: the concept of "In-yun” (인연). ![]() During a fateful week, they explore the terrain of love and destiny, wrestling with the monumental decisions that have sculpted their respective lives, including Nora’s current marriage to an American man, Arthur (John Magaro). Two decades since her family's emigration from South Korea, Nora (Greta Lee) and childhood sweetheart Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) find themselves reconnected in New York. Using her own experiences as a backdrop, Song condenses complicated sentiments about identity and love into a simple yet stirring tale that, through the most intimate details, becomes extremely relatable. It arrives in the UK on September 8.In “Past Lives,” director Celine Song twists the knife on the all-too-familiar romantic woes that Asian immigrants like myself endure: the slow yet gut-wrenching impact of long-distance relationships and our complex relationship with fate. Past Lives is playing in movie theaters and is available via at-home digital on-demand. He leaves New York free from his past and ready to move on with his life like Nora has. Like Nora, Hae Sung now realizes this relationship that has been in his mind for 24 years is not the love story he thought it may be, despite their obvious connection. The last moment is Hae Sung riding in the Uber across a bridge as the sun rises, with him and the car eventually driving out of frame. Nora staying with Arthur and crying in his arms is not the final shot of the movie. It is not Hae Sung that she is crying over though, but the 12-year-old girl Na Young (her Korean name) that she realizes is truly gone. Nora walks back to her apartment, hugs Arthur and starts to cry. Hae Sung gets into the Uber and drives away. He asks her what their connection in this life may mean they can be in a future one. Nora waits with Hae Sung as his Uber arrives to take him to the airport. They wonder though, what they were to each other in a past life that let them have this special connection. They ultimately decide that what they were looking for in each other was the 12-year-old versions of themselves, but the people they are now are different and ultimately not meant to be together. However, Nora and Hae Sung do go off into their own conversation in Korean, where they wonder what may have happened if Nora had stayed in South Korea. There is definitely an awkwardness between Arthur and Hae Sung, but they are polite to each other and they all go out to dinner.Īt a bar, Nora sits between Arthur and Hae Sung, translating certain things Hae Sung is saying to try and keep Arthur involved. ![]() They eventually go back to Nora's apartment to meet Arthur. The next day Nora and Hae Sung spend more time together, with the feeling of unsaid emotions hanging in the air. Despite his hesitations, Arthur is OK with Nora continuing to see Hae Sung. But Nora tells Arthur she loves him and that their life is the one she is going to keep. Arthur is clearly nervous that their connection from childhood could present some problems for their relationship, admitting the idea of childhood sweethearts reconnecting is a romantic one. But when Nora goes home and sees Arthur, she says seeing him is weird and she's not entirely sure how it makes her feel. When Nora and Hae Sung spend the day together in New York, it is very clear there is something between the two of them. Greta Lee and Teo Yoo in Past Lives (Image credit: Jon Pack/A24)
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