Possible Love 2026

Possible Love (2026) marks acclaimed South Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-dong’s first feature since Burning (2018). The Korean-language drama brings together four major actors—Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Zo In-sung and Cho Yeo-jeong—for a story about marriage, class, emotional distance and desires that become increasingly difficult to hide. The film has also been selected as South Korea’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards.

Storyline

The film follows two married couples whose lives could hardly be more different.

Mi-ok and Ho-seok are a working-class couple dealing with the reality of Ho-seok losing his job. Their marriage has been shaped by years of financial pressure and the quiet frustrations that come with it. On the other side are Ye-ji, a documentary filmmaker, and her husband Sang-woo, an affluent couple whose lifestyle places them far away from Mi-ok and Ho-seok’s daily struggles.

Their paths cross when Ye-ji decides to make a documentary about laid-off workers. What begins as a professional project gradually brings the two couples into much closer contact. A shared summer getaway pushes that relationship further, forcing buried emotions, old wounds and hidden desires to surface.

That setup gives Lee Chang-dong plenty to explore beyond a conventional romance. Possible Love is interested in what people hide inside long-term relationships—and what happens when another person exposes feelings that a couple has spent years avoiding.

The film is based on a screenplay by Lee Chang-dong and Oh Jung-mi, with a reported runtime of 164 minutes, making this a substantial relationship drama rather than a lightweight romantic film.

Cast & Performances

• Jeon Do-yeon as Mi-ok — Jeon plays a woman living through the emotional and financial strain of an uncertain marriage. Her reunion with Lee Chang-dong is especially significant, as they previously worked together on Secret Sunshine.
• Sul Kyung-gu as Ho-seok — Sul portrays Mi-ok’s laid-off husband, a man whose circumstances place increasing pressure on his relationship and sense of identity.
• Zo In-sung as Sang-woo — Zo plays Ye-ji’s husband, representing the more affluent side of the film’s contrasting couples.
• Cho Yeo-jeong as Ye-ji — As the documentary filmmaker whose work connects the two couples, Cho’s character becomes central to the film’s emotional collision.

The four leads are arguably the film’s biggest attraction. Netflix describes the project as being driven by their chemistry and the complicated relationships between their characters, while the Korea Film Council highlighted Lee’s ability to create layered, deeply human characters when selecting the movie as South Korea’s Oscar submission.

Release Date & Where to Watch

Possible Love is an upcoming movie as of September 4, 2026. It will premiere in competition at the Venice International Film Festival before continuing to Toronto and other major international festivals.

The confirmed theatrical rollout is:

• South Korea: September 23, 2026
• Australia: October 22, 2026
• United States, Canada, UK, Ireland & Japan: October 23, 2026
• Netflix worldwide: November 6, 2026

The film is rated R on Netflix and is listed as a Korean drama.

For viewers waiting to watch Possible Love online, the confirmed destination is Netflix, where the movie will become available globally on November 6.

Box Office / Expectations

Possible Love has not yet had its main commercial theatrical rollout, so there is no meaningful worldwide box-office total to report. Korea’s film database had recorded a small amount of theatrical activity by September 2, but the film is officially still listed as to be released in South Korea.