Past Lives is "a mature love story that feels powerfully real" written and directed by Celine Song in a "remarkable" feature directorial debut. The heartrending modern romance stars Greta Lee (Apple+'s The Morning Show) and Teo Yoo (Decision to Leave) as Nora Young and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends who are reunited for one fateful week in New York City after 20 years.

Lee and Yoo bring emotional depth to their characters in excellent co-lead performances, supported by John Magaro and leaning into Song's haunting sense of nostalgia and longing. Beautifully shot, Song uses visuals to unearth complex themes to make the film's observations and insights moving and relatable. Aided by a subtle and thoughtful script, Past Lives evokes powerful emotions as it explores themes of lost love, identity and the power of memory.

The Korean-Canadian romantic drama is a beautiful and moving exploration of the concept of In-Yun, a Korean word that means "destiny" or "fate". In-Yun is often seen as a karmic connection, meaning that it is the result of actions and interactions. Past Lives explores the different ways that In-Yun can manifest itself whether the connection is romantic, platonic or familial, a powerful force that can shape our lives.

Love exists not as a neat saviour or as one right or wrong path in Past Lives, but rather as the genuine form that manifests in our lives, complicated and enriched by time and movement and mutual understanding. Similarly, it would be a mistake to consider In-Yun, a Korean concept about fate—specifically, the destined connection between two people that has been informed by countless other connections with each other in past lives—that is threaded throughout the film, as some sort of romantic notion about the battle to find one's soul mate.

"When you talk about destiny in Western cultures, it is very much a thing that one needs to do something about... But often Eastern cultures, when they talk about In-Yun, it is not necessarily an actionable item. Sometimes it is something that just comes to you. I know that In-Yun is, and can be, a romantic notion, but at the end of the day it is more just about people's relationships and intimacy than anything else,” Song says.

A "sublime" feature debut from Celine Song, this breathtaking and sophisticated romance drama has garnered numerous 5-star reviews from The Daily Telegraph, Guardian, The London Evening Standard, Observer, Daily Express, Times, Irish Times, RTÉ, Empire Magazine, Herald Sun, Total Film and many others with a 97% rating after more than 200 reviews. The lingering film from Song opens nationwide on Friday 22 September.