South Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-dong is back with a new film, and Possible Love is already attracting international attention.
The drama had its world premiere in competition at the 2026 Venice Film Festival on September 6, marking Lee’s first feature film since Burning in 2018. The film has also been selected as South Korea’s official submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards.
Starring Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Zo In-sung and Cho Yeo-jeong, Possible Love explores the lives of two married couples from very different circumstances. Their lives become connected when a documentary brings them together, forcing the characters to confront questions about class, relationships, desire and the limits of empathy.
The movie is particularly notable because of the reputation of its director. Lee Chang-dong is one of South Korea’s most internationally recognized filmmakers, and Burning became the first Korean film to reach the Academy’s shortlist for Best Foreign Language Film.
What Is Possible Love About?
At the center of Possible Love are two couples whose lives initially appear very different.
Mi-ok, played by Jeon Do-yeon, and Ho-seok, played by Sul Kyung-gu, are dealing with the consequences of economic hardship. Ho-seok is a laid-off worker, while Mi-ok is his wife.
The other couple lives a very different life. Ye-ji, played by Cho Yeo-jeong, is a documentary filmmaker, while her husband Sang-woo, played by Zo In-sung, comes from a more privileged background.
The two couples meet through Ye-ji’s documentary project.
What begins as an attempt to document another couple’s experiences gradually becomes something more complicated. The characters begin confronting their own assumptions about one another, while personal relationships and hidden emotions start to surface.
Netflix describes the film as a story about two married couples who cross paths while making a documentary and are forced to confront their different lives and hidden desires.
Rather than presenting a straightforward romance, the movie appears to use relationships as a way to examine larger questions about inequality, privilege and human connection.
Lee Chang-dong Returns After Eight Years
One of the biggest reasons Possible Love has attracted attention is the return of Lee Chang-dong.
His previous feature was Burning, released in 2018. That film, starring Yoo Ah-in, Steven Yeun and Jeon Jong-seo, received major international acclaim and became an important part of South Korea’s modern cinema history.
Eight years later, Lee is returning with another character-driven drama.
The long gap has made Possible Love one of the more closely watched Korean films on the international festival circuit.
Lee’s return is also significant because he has a long history with the Venice Film Festival. His 2002 film Oasis competed at Venice and won the Silver Lion for Best Director, while actress Moon So-ri received the Marcello Mastroianni Award.
Possible Love therefore marks his return to Venice after 24 years.
The Cast Includes Some of Korea’s Biggest Stars
The film brings together four major South Korean performers.
Jeon Do-yeon
Jeon Do-yeon plays Mi-ok, the wife of Ho-seok.
She is one of South Korea’s most acclaimed actresses and previously worked with Lee Chang-dong in Secret Sunshine. That performance earned her the Best Actress award at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.
Her reunion with Lee is one of the film’s major attractions.
Sul Kyung-gu
Sul Kyung-gu plays Ho-seok, a laid-off worker whose life becomes connected with the documentary project.
Sul is another highly respected figure in Korean cinema, known for films including Peppermint Candy, Public Enemy and The Book of Fish.
Cho Yeo-jeong
Cho Yeo-jeong plays Ye-ji, the documentary filmmaker whose project brings the two couples together.
International audiences may recognize her from Parasite, in which she played Yeon-kyo.
Zo In-sung
Zo In-sung plays Sang-woo, Ye-ji’s husband.
The actor is well known in South Korea for both film and television projects, including Moving and The Great Battle.
The combination of these four actors gives Possible Love considerable star power while keeping the focus on character-driven drama. Netflix has highlighted the cast and their performances as one of the film’s major strengths.
Why Possible Love Is Getting Attention at Venice
The film premiered in the main competition at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival.
That means Possible Love is competing for the festival’s top prize, the Golden Lion, alongside other major international films.
Early reactions have been notably positive.
Variety reported that the film received a six-minute standing ovation following its Venice premiere, with the cast also becoming emotional during the reception.
The Hollywood Reporter also described the movie as a strong return for Lee, while other festival reviews have focused on its exploration of class, relationships and exploitation.
However, festival reactions should still be treated as early critical responses rather than proof that the movie will become a commercial hit.
Its broader audience reception will become clearer once the film begins its theatrical and streaming releases.
Possible Love Is South Korea’s Oscar Submission
The movie has another major distinction before its worldwide Netflix release.
The Korean Film Council selected Possible Love as South Korea’s submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards.
The selection committee praised the film’s overall quality, visual craftsmanship, characters and layered relationships.
This does not mean the movie has automatically received an Oscar nomination. South Korea’s selection is the country’s submission, and the Academy’s later selection process will determine which films advance through the shortlist and ultimately receive nominations.
The 99th Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled for March 2027.
For Possible Love, however, simply being chosen as South Korea’s submission puts the movie on a much larger international awards-season radar.
When Will Possible Love Be Released?
The release is taking place in several stages.
The film is scheduled to open in South Korean theaters on September 23, 2026.
It will then receive theatrical releases in other markets, including Australia on October 22 and the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Japan on October 23.
For viewers waiting to watch it at home, the biggest date is November 6, 2026.
That’s when Possible Love is scheduled to arrive globally on Netflix.
This makes the movie particularly accessible to international audiences who may not have a local theatrical release.
When Will Possible Love Be on Netflix?
Possible Love will be available globally on Netflix beginning November 6, 2026.
Netflix has already published the film’s official page and describes it as a Korean drama directed by Lee Chang-dong and starring Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu and Zo In-sung.
The Netflix release also gives the movie an opportunity to reach viewers beyond the traditional art-house cinema audience.
That could be particularly important for Korean cinema, which has continued to find international audiences through streaming platforms.
Why This Korean Film Could Stand Out
There are several reasons Possible Love could become one of the more talked-about Korean movies of late 2026.
First, it marks Lee Chang-dong’s return after eight years.
Second, it has an unusually strong ensemble of established Korean actors.
Third, its Venice competition placement puts it directly into the international awards conversation.
And finally, South Korea has already selected it as its Oscar submission.
The film is also arriving at a time when international audiences have become increasingly interested in Korean cinema beyond mainstream K-dramas and commercial genre movies.
However, Possible Love is not being positioned as a conventional action film or high-concept thriller. Its appeal is rooted in its characters and its examination of relationships, class and human behavior.
That may make it particularly attractive to viewers looking for a more serious Korean drama.
What the Trailer Reveals
The official trailer establishes the four central characters and the documentary project that connects them.
Ye-ji becomes interested in the lives of Mi-ok and Ho-seok, whose experiences are shaped by economic difficulties. As the documentary develops, the distance between the two couples begins to change.
The trailer also hints at emotional tension that goes beyond the filmmaking project.
Netflix describes the story as one in which a summer getaway brings the characters closer together while exposing old wounds, tension and hidden desires.
Rather than revealing the film’s major developments, the marketing has focused on the characters and the relationships between them.
That approach fits Lee Chang-dong’s filmmaking style, where small personal interactions can become increasingly significant as the story progresses.
Final Thoughts
Possible Love is shaping up to be one of the most significant Korean films heading to Netflix later this year.
The movie reunites acclaimed director Lee Chang-dong with a major Korean cast led by Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Cho Yeo-jeong and Zo In-sung.
Its Venice premiere has already generated strong critical attention, while its selection as South Korea’s official Oscar submission gives it an additional reason to remain on the international film calendar.
For viewers interested in Korean cinema, the most important date to remember is November 6, 2026, when Possible Love arrives globally on Netflix.
Before that, audiences in South Korea and several other countries will have the opportunity to see the film theatrically.
Whether it ultimately becomes an awards-season contender or simply finds a dedicated audience on Netflix, Possible Love has already established itself as a noteworthy Korean film because of its filmmaker, cast and international festival presence.
Sources
- Netflix — Official Possible Love information and release announcement.
- Korean Film Council — South Korea’s official Oscar submission announcement.
- Yonhap News Agency — Venice competition and film details.
- Variety — Venice premiere and audience reaction.
- The Hollywood Reporter — Venice coverage and international release information.
- Deadline — Reviews and release coverage.
