A Long-Awaited Return Brings Venice to Its Feet
Eight years after "Burning" quietly devastated audiences worldwide, South Korean director Lee Chang-dong arrived at the Venice Film Festival with "Possible Love" — and the Sala Grande responded with a standing ovation that lasted somewhere between six and seven minutes before festival staff cut it short to clear the room for the next premiere. [1][2] Critics who had embargoed reviews published them as the screening was still underway, and early notices amounted to what one outlet described as "a unanimous rave." [2]
The reception marks Lee's most prominent return to Venice since he won the Silver Lion for "Oasis" in 2002 — a gap of nearly a quarter-century. [1] As the lights came up, the cast wept openly, hugging one another and laughing at their own emotional responses before being guided toward the exit. [1]
Class, Desire, and Two Marriages Colliding
"Possible Love" centers on two married couples from opposite ends of South Korea's class divide whose lives become unexpectedly entangled. [2] Sul Kyung-gu plays Ho-seok, a man still carrying the trauma of losing his factory job after a workers' strike, who lives quietly with his determinedly optimistic wife Mi-ok, played by Jeon Do-yeon. [2] A chance encounter draws them into the orbit of Ye-ji — an aspiring documentary filmmaker, played by Cho Yeo-jeong, who wants to tell Ho-seok's story — and her husband Sang-woo, played by Zo In-sung, the scion of a wealthy Korean family. [2]
The two wives form a tentative friendship, but the group dynamic gradually fractures under the weight of extreme class differences and subtly conflicting desires. [2] Both sources describe the film's encounter as beginning after a funeral, with the intertwined lives of the two couples forming the emotional spine of the narrative. [1][2]
A Reunion of Korean Cinema's Finest
The casting reads like a deliberate summoning of Lee's own filmography. Jeon Do-yeon won Cannes' best actress prize as the lead of Lee's "Secret Sunshine" in 2007. [2] Sul Kyung-gu was the unforgettable face of "Peppermint Candy" and "Oasis." [2] Cho Yeo-jeong is best known internationally as the wealthy wife in Bong Joon Ho's "Parasite." [2] Zo In-sung, known for "Escape From Mogadishu" and the streaming series "Moving," rounds out the ensemble. [1][2]
The talent behind the camera is equally formidable. Lee co-wrote the screenplay with Oh Jung-mi, his collaborator on "Burning." [1][2] Cinematographer Kim Ji-yong, whose credits include "Decision to Leave" and "Squid Game," shot the film, while composer Jung Jae-il — who scored both "Parasite" and "Squid Game" — wrote the music. [2]
The Director Who Waits Until He's Certain
Lee has made only six features across three decades, a pace that is itself a statement of intent. Before turning to filmmaking, he was a novelist, and he also served as South Korea's culture minister in the early 2000s — a biographical detail that underscores the unusual breadth of his public life. [2] His work has earned a level of reverence among international cineastes that few directors can match, even without an Oscar nomination or significant commercial crossover. [2]
He has spoken plainly about why his films take so long. "I'm not the type of filmmaker who can make movies easily," Lee said. "Before I begin a film, I must be certain of what it means — to me, to the audience, and to cinema itself. That is why 'Possible Love' took so long to make." [1]
Netflix, Oscar Season, and a Packed Festival Run
"Possible Love" is produced and fully financed by Netflix, which has positioned it as one of its top awards contenders for 2026. [2] South Korea has already selected the film as its submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film — Lee's fourth film to represent the country at the Oscars, following "Oasis," "Secret Sunshine," and "Burning." [2] Netflix is also expected to campaign the film in major categories beyond the international film category. [2]
The film is currently one of 21 titles competing for Venice's Golden Lion. The festival jury, led by Maggie Gyllenhaal, will announce winners on September 12. [2]
After Venice, "Possible Love" will travel to Toronto, New York, San Sebastián, Zurich, Vancouver, and Busan. [2] It opens theatrically in South Korea on September 23, followed by Australia on October 22, and the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Japan on October 23. [2] Netflix will then make the film available globally on its streaming service on November 6. [1][2]
What to Watch Next
The immediate question is whether "Possible Love" takes the Golden Lion when Gyllenhaal's jury announces its verdict on September 12 — a win that would dramatically amplify the film's already considerable awards momentum heading into the fall. Beyond Venice, the film's reception at Toronto, which carries its own Oscar-season weight, will be the next major signal of how broadly the film connects outside the festival circuit's core audience. Whether Netflix's campaign can push Lee's work into the mainstream Academy conversation — something none of his previous films managed — is the longer arc to follow.
