Burning director Lee Chang-dong explores the complicated relationships in his latest film, Possible Love, which won the Grand Jury and FIPRESCI prizes at Venice Film Festival 2026. The film follows two couples, one comprising the filmmaker and her husband; the other, a laid-off worker and his wife, as the filmmaker aims to document the aftermath of a highly publicised worker’s strike.
The parallels between the two couples seem evident from the outset. Mi-Ok (Jeon Do-yeon) and Ho-seok (Sul Kyung-gu) are older, worn down and settled with a son. Ho-seok is suffering from the aftermath of the strike that saw him eventually laid off, though he is hesitant to talk about it. The other couple, documentarian Ye-ji (Parasite star Cho Yeo-jeong) and her husband Sang Woo (Hope actor Zo In-sung), come across as more ambitious, affluent and content.
With the class contrast quickly established, it allows Lee and co-screenwriter Oh Jung-mi to brew the slow-burn tension evoked through jealousy. It almost justifies the almost three-hour runtime, as the film’s structure uncovers layers of each relationship and friendship. Ye-ji’s journalistic ambition questions the extent of her intrusiveness while Mi-ok wonders about her personal freedom. Furthermore, Sang Woo has an edge behind his charismatic facade while Ho-seok is traumatised about his past. With the authenticity of all four characters marred by personal intentions, the tension weaved by emotive dialogue forces them to face their own issues not just in themselves but also their marriages.
Lee’s gentle direction feeds the idea of the clashing couples. A scene is either one-to-one or in a group, the visuals feed the tense narrative to allow audiences to compare how they interact in private and in public. Whether it is Lee interviewing someone one-to-one or the four characters sitting around a dinner table, Kim Ji-yong’s cinematography and the actors’ controlled performances keep audiences guessing as to the true intentions of not only each couple but each spouse.
Furthermore, Lee reinforces a realism with a focus on manual labour. Among factory workers and gig economy workers such as designated drivers, he channels the struggles of manual labourers through Ho-seok’s PTSD and the ramifications of the strike. Once an established worker at his company, he finds his work friendships fractured by a violent attack during the strike, isolating himself from the people he once considered his ‘brothers’. Evoking a sense of nihilism and distrust, the director highlights the difficulties of an older generation in a physically challenging environment, as well as the emotional attachments that come from a long-term work placement.
Even as the film reaches its emotionally fraught third act, which sees the couples’ growing bond implode, Possible Love keeps audiences guessing as to whether their respective happiness is only surface level. While one couple struggles to communicate, another finds themselves returning to a mundane routine that reiterates their bond. In a swift yet genius move, Lee disarms audiences to question whether love is only recognised on the outside or something that is reinforced by compatibility, creating an unease that distorts Lee Chang-dong’s drama.
Possible Love is a subtle, slow-burn drama that highlights strong performances and a complex narrative that will invite audiences into its web—only to pull the rug from under their feet.
Possible Love is in select cinemas 23 October and on Netflix 6 November 2026.
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Director: Lee Chang-dong, Oh Jung-mi (co-screenwriter)
Stars: Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Zo In-sung, Cho Yeo-jeong
Runtime: 164 minutes
Country: South Korea, USA
