Lee Chang‑dong’s ‘Possible Love’ Captures Job Insecurity and Hope

Lee Chang‑dong’s latest drama Possible Love lands at Venice, heads for Korean theaters on Oct 23 and streams on Netflix Nov 6, offering a quiet look at how people survive when work disappears.

Opening with a muted funeral convoy, the film sketches a family strained by loss: Mi‑ok (Jeon Do‑yeon) frets over a dress, Ho‑seok (Sul Kyung‑gu) sits stone‑silent, while their son toys with a drifting chip bag. The unnamed funeral is for a former coworker, hinting at the broader layoffs at conglomerate SP.

Possible Love: A Study of Work, Desire and Connection

In the parking lot, Mi‑ok encounters Sang‑woo (Zo In‑sung), whose sleek car blocks her fallen wedding band. His wife, Ye‑ji (Cho Yeo‑jong), is filming a documentary on laborers, instantly spotting Ho‑seok’s melancholy as material for her project. What begins as a professional pursuit morphs into a fragile sisterhood between Mi‑ok and Ye‑ji, each grappling with unseen* financial pressures.

“The camera can be a mirror, but it can also be a barrier,” Ye‑ji muses, raising questions about ethics in documentary work.

Lee paints ordinary longing with a subtle brush: Mi‑ok snaps a photo of Ye‑ji’s luxury backpack, then searches the brand—Loro Piana—realising its price lies far beyond her reach. This moment captures the ache of coveting symbols of status while battling daily scarcity, echoing the director’s nod to Kieślowski’s Dekalog 10.

While Sang‑woo hustles on relentless calls, Ho‑seok retreats into a bubble of silence, his isolation palpable. The tension climaxes when Ye‑ji’s camera finally records Ho‑seok’s raw confession, forcing viewers to ask whether the footage earned its place.

Critics note that Lee’s 2018 thriller Burning shocked art‑house circles; Possible Love may not replicate that surprise, yet its relevance is sharpened by today’s ↓ 12% rise in global unemployment and a ↑ 5% surge in streaming subscriptions, according to Reuters and AP News. The film’s modest narrative could resonate more powerfully than its predecessor, reflecting a world where a roof and a meal outweigh luxury cravings.

Intel provided by: Aria Montgomery

Media & Entertainment Correspondent