‘Possible Love’ TIFF Review: Netflix Undoubtedly Scored the Year’s Best Foreign Language Film

Name: ‘Possible Love’ TIFF Review: Netflix Undoubtedly Scored the Year’s Best Foreign Language Film
Item: Possible Love
Rating: 4.5
Author: Jack Giroux

Anchored by a powerhouse performance from Jeon Do-yeon, ‘Possible Love’ is an immersive and beautifully shot triumph for Netflix.

By Jack Giroux September 18, 2026

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Picture Credit: Netflix

Netflix has its Best Foreign Picture contender in Possible Love. The title carries multiple meanings in the new film from Lee Chang-dong, who’s a deft yet patient dramatist. The filmmaker constantly peels back the layers of his complex characters in every scene.

The epic, 164-minute-long story follows Mi-ok (Jeon Do-yeon) and her husband, Choi Ho-seok (Sul Kyung-gu), who become the subjects of Ye-ji’s (Cho Yeo-jeong) documentary. Ho-seok was the victim of police brutality during a factory strike, which left him without work, blacklisted, and traumatized. With Ye-ji’s documentary, it’s a chance to tell their story, to show the extent of damage done by mass layoffs.

The story behind the scenes turns complicated. Mi-ok and Ho-seok are sometimes treated as props through the lens of privileged filmmaker Ye-ji, whose husband, Sang-woo (Zo In-sung), is a successful businessman. Even when the couples do get along, like during a wonderful dinner sequence with a fantastic Steve Jobs joke, there’s constant tension between the lines. The wealth gap is always present – even when the characters are friendly or intimate.

A Patient, Visual Masterpiece

The complicated drama calls for the near-three-hour runtime. Lee Chang-dong has too much to say here, mostly in silence. With cinematographer Kim Ji-yong, the filmmaker crafts images that open a window into the souls. Even a shot literally of Ye-ji and her family staring out of a window at a getaway home is lovely yet tragic: beautiful figures trapped in a home where its owners go for freedom.

Chang-dong gets close to all these characters, never casting any judgment. The direction is observant but so expressive. There are contradictions in the craft, not only the couples. Neither the struggling nor the rich are painted with simple brushes. Mi-ok and Ho-seok are so distant from one another yet still loving. Mi-ok values her friend, Ye-ji, yet ultimately resents her filmmaking. Mi-ok is attracted to her friend’s husband but is left cold by his privilege.

A Feast of Complex Performances

It is a feast of a starring role for Jeon Do-yeon. The well runs deep with her performance. She crafts a complex character who’s precisely written yet feels so natural and spontaneous. As for Sul Kyung-gu, he is almost chillingly unmoving but vulnerable. And Cho Yeo-jeong makes for a talented but unethical documentarian – as well as a kind but self-serving friend.

The ensemble, as well as Chang-dong and his crew, presents multiple truths with grace and restraint. Possible Love is a powerful portrait of four quietly hypnotic individuals – an ensemble whose every nuance and flaw is another reason to invest in them. It’s an immensely fulfilling experience.

Verdict

A masterful, near-three-hour epic that tackles class divides and trauma with immense grace and quiet tension. Anchored by a powerhouse performance from Jeon Do-yeon, Lee Chang-dong’s Possible Love is an immersive, beautifully shot triumph. Netflix has a very serious Best International Feature contender on its hands.