Possible Love Netflix Review:
Some films are difficult to explain immediately after watching them. Not because the story is complicated, but because they leave you thinking about people, relationships and some uncomfortable truths about life.
South Korean film Possible Love is one such experience.
Now streaming on Netflix, the film marks the return of acclaimed filmmaker Lee Chang-dong after eight years. His last feature was the critically acclaimed Burning (2018), so expectations were naturally high.
And this time, he comes back with a rather intimate story about two married couples, their very different lifestyles and the complicated emotions that emerge when their worlds collide.
Possible Love: Story and Plot
The story centers around two couples that come from entirely opposite social classes.
Mi-ok (played by Jeon Do-yeon) lives with her husband Ho-seok (played by Sul Kyung-gu), who used to work at a factory but was recently fired owing to corporate downsizing. The hardships associated with their situation are really taking a toll on the couple.
Ho-seok is confused, frustrated and angry about what has happened to him. Mi-ok, in turn, is trying to hold the family together amidst all the disappointments she feels.
However, things start to get better for the couple once they meet a documentary maker Ye-ji (played by Cho Yeo-jeong), who wants to film their stories as the stories of people who got affected by the layoffs.
Ye-ji lives a fairly comfortable life with her rich husband Sang-woo (played by Zo In-sung). It is evident how different these two couples are.
What initially starts out as a documentary making project gradually transforms into something else.
New friendships emerge, tensions arise and the characters find themselves facing their feelings they never expected to face.
This is when Lee Chang-dong does his thing.
Performances: Jeon Do-yeon Is Simply Wonderful
One of the biggest strengths of Possible Love is its casting.
Jeon Do-yeon excels in the role of Mi-ok. Her portrayal of a woman attempting to juggle her duties, personal ambitions and a complicated marriage is completely realistic and believable.
There is no need for her to resort to dialogue or exaggerated emotions to convey how her character feels. She manages to speak volumes through her silences too.
Sul Kyung-gu is equally impressive. His portrayal of Ho-seok is particularly interesting because the character isn’t always easy to like. He’s angry, emotionally wounded and often difficult to understand. But the performance gives us a glimpse of the pain behind that behaviour.
Zo In-sung brings a different kind of presence to the film. His character Sang-woo appears sophisticated, wealthy and relatively easygoing, but there’s much more going on beneath that surface.
Cho Yeo-jeong also makes a strong impression as Ye-ji. Her character is probably one of the more fascinating people in the story because her intentions, although seemingly good, aren’t always as straightforward as they appear.
The four performances complement each other beautifully.
Lee Chang-dong Doesn’t Make Things Easy for the AudienceIf you’ve watched Burning or Poetry, you probably know that Lee Chang-dong isn’t interested in spoon-feeding viewers.
Possible Love follows a similar approach.
The film takes its time introducing the characters and gradually revealing what’s happening beneath their apparently ordinary lives.
There are no unnecessary attempts to make everything dramatic. Instead, the director allows everyday conversations, awkward silences and small gestures to carry the emotional weight.
Interestingly, the documentary angle also gives the film another layer. It raises questions about whether people who document the struggles of others truly understand them or whether they sometimes turn someone else’s pain into a story of their own.
That’s a pretty uncomfortable question, and the film doesn’t offer an easy answer.
More Than Just a Marriage Drama
What I particularly like about the premise is that Possible Love doesn’t limit itself to romantic relationships.
Yes, there are complicated marriages, hidden desires, jealousy and emotional distance. But underneath all that, the film is also about class differences, unemployment, workplace struggles and the invisible pressure money puts on relationships.
The two couples may be living in the same society, but their experiences are worlds apart.
For one couple, financial security is something they struggle to achieve. For the other, it’s something they have largely taken for granted.
And yet, having money doesn’t necessarily mean having a happy marriage or a peaceful life.
The film explores these contradictions without turning its characters into simple heroes and villains.
That’s one of its biggest strengths.
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Where Possible Love Could Have Been Better
Now, this isn’t a film that will work for everyone.
At around 2 hours and 44 minutes, Possible Love is a fairly long watch. And there are stretches where the narrative moves very slowly.
For some viewers, watching the film will become a wait for the action to pick up, especially during the quieter scenes.
Another thing the film does is not offer any clear solutions to many of the emotional problems it brings up. Depending on the viewer’s expectations, it might turn out fascinating or frustrating.
In my opinion, the film’s slower pace works perfectly, but a little bit of editing would have done no harm.
Final Verdict: Is Watching Possible Love on Netflix a Good Idea?
Yes, especially if you like Korean dramas centered around character development.
The film doesn’t aspire to be a typical romantic story. It tries to figure out what motivates people and how their relationships change, as well as the impact of economic and emotional problems on even the tightest relationships.
Lee Chang-dong proves once again that he knows human psychology extremely well.
Thanks to excellent performances by Jeon Do-yeon and Sul Kyung-gu, and Zo In-sung and Cho Yeo-jeong’s characters, the film’s ensemble is extremely interesting.
It may seem boring at times, but there are enough emotions here to keep you engaged.
Conclusion: Possible Love is an amazing drama worth watching on Netflix.
If you’re looking for fast-paced entertainment, this probably isn’t the right choice. But if you enjoy films that leave you thinking about their characters long after the credits roll, don’t miss it.
Rating: 4.5/5
