Past Lives Trailer: This Is One Of The Best Movies Of 2023

The A24-produced Sundance hit "Past Lives" is a must-see film of 2023 that took the beloved American festival quietly by storm — and luckily for us, the movie finally has a trailer and release date.

In the sneak peek, we meet Na Young (who later goes by Nora, played by Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo), two childhood friends who reconnect later in life after forming a bond as children. They find each other again and start to explore their connection, but when Nora's career ambitions take precedence, they lose that connection again for several more years. But the film seems to assert that these two people will always be in each other's lives, and are destined to meet again.

Yesterday, A24 shared the first poster for the film via their social media channels. The poster simply shows an image of Lee smiling at someone she's looking at on her left-hand side. We only see someone's shoulder with a backpack on it next to her, but the person's identity is concealed.

It's exciting to see a star-vehicle for Lee get so much praise. She has been such an incredible supporting and/or recurring cast member in so many great films and TV shows in recent years; It's high time the talented performer gets her time to shine, especially in a drama. Lee is hilarious, and it's clear she's made her mark with that skill thus far. But the world tends to underestimate the capacity comedic actors have for drama, and I can't wait for everyone to see what Lee can do.

/Film's own Chris Evangelista reviewed the film out of Sundance, calling it "lovely," "contemplative," and "stunning." He remarked about the film's dream-like qualities, which makes it seem like it's going to be a really lovely and emotional film about human connection. In fact, Evangelista sung the movie's praises in a major way in his review:

"The film gathers you up in its hands and carries you along with it, resulting in what will surely be one of the best films of 2023. And audiences will surely find themselves swept up in the reality the characters find themselves in — who among us doesn't have regrets and dreams about the past? We're all haunted and sometimes comforted by thoughts of what might have been, and acceptance of what we really have, in this life or the next."

"Past Lives" is the directorial debut of playwright Celine Song, who also wrote the script. It stars Lee, Yoo, and John Magaro, who plays Nora's later husband, Arthur. The film also recently screened at Berlinale 2023. It will receive a wide release this summer.