Director Lee Chang-dong returns with his heartrending new drama Possible Love, streaming globally on Netflix beginning November 6, 2026. Ahead of this premiere, Netflix is expanding its catalog to stream the acclaimed filmmaker’s previous works worldwide, following the film’s Silver Lion win at the 2026 Venice Film Festival, as reported by Deadline.
The Bottom Line
- Possible Love captures the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival and arrives on Netflix globally on November 6, 2026.
- Netflix is rolling out a comprehensive streaming retrospective of Lee Chang-dong’s filmography across international markets.
- The streaming collection includes titles such as Green Fish, Peppermint Candy, Oasis, and Poetry.
How Possible Love Connects Two Distant Couples
Lee Chang-dong’s first film in eight years is a meditation on connection, class, and desire. Possible Love explores the intersecting lives of two married couples: Mi-ok, played by Jeon Do-yeon, and her laid-off husband Ho-seok, portrayed by Sul Kyung-gu, alongside affluent documentary filmmaker Ye-ji, played by Cho Yeo-jeong, and her spouse Sang-woo, played by Zo In-sung.
POSSIBLE LOVE. A new film from director Lee Chang-dong. Starring Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Zo In-sung, and Cho Yeo-jeong. In select theaters in Korea on September 23 and in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland and Japan on October 23. Coming to Netflix November 6.Two married couples… pic.twitter.com/j9OCXidPvd
While Ye-ji begins production on a project centered on terminated employees, the two pairs find their paths crossing with increasing frequency. Each character must come face to face with repressed emotions and hidden desires. According to Deadline’s coverage of its Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize victory at the 2026 Venice Film Festival, the movie debuts in South Korean cinemas on September 23, reaches Australia on October 22, lands in the UK, Japan, the U.S., and Canada on October 23, and finally arrives worldwide on Netflix on November 6.
Where to Stream Lee Chang-Dong’s Previous Films on Netflix
Alongside the upcoming release of Possible Love, Netflix is expanding access to Lee’s foundational cinematic works. Netflix reported that earlier films Green Fish and Secret Sunshine are already available on the platform, streaming from August in Italy, the UK, France, Australia, and New Zealand. Meanwhile, Deadline noted that Peppermint Candy and Oasis started streaming in Italy and Spain on September 4, with titles like Poetry and Burning planned for release in markets including Japan, the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
| Film Title | Release Year | Key Accolades |
|---|---|---|
| Green Fish | 1997 | Jury Award, Best New Director, Best Original Screenplay (Grand Bell Awards) |
| Peppermint Candy | 1999 | Best Film, Best Director (Grand Bell Awards) |
| Oasis | 2002 | Silver Lion for Best Director (Venice Film Festival) |
| Poetry | 2010 | Best Screenplay (Cannes Film Festival) |
What Defined the Director’s Early Breakthroughs
The retrospective highlights a filmmaking career spanning nearly three decades, beginning with the 1997 neo-noir feature Green Fish. The film follows Mak-dong, played by Han Suk-kyu, as he leaves mandatory military service and falls into business with gangsters and unrequited love for Mi-ae, played by Shim Hye-jin. Reflecting on the era, Lee noted at the 2018 Pingyao Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon International Film Festival that the Korean film industry was at a low point where people would not go to the movies even if offered money.
The director’s breakout 1999 tragedy Peppermint Candy uses the chaotic life of Kim Young-ho, played by Sul Kyung-gu, as a stand-in for South Korea’s turbulent political history in the 20th century. The film famously opens with a middle-aged Young-ho staring down an oncoming train before journeying backward through two decades of flashbacks. Lee explained to Metrograph in 2024 that modern Korean history resulted from choices made by the people during pivotal moments like the Gwangju Uprising and the IMF national bankruptcy.
How Later Masterpieces Explored Marginalized Lives
Lee continued examining societal fractures with Oasis in 2002, a romantic drama centering on social outcast Jong-du and Gong-ju, a woman who uses a wheelchair and lives with cerebral palsy, played respectively by Sul Kyung-gu and Moon So-ri. The director noted in a statement that love is even more tragic when it is something the world refuses to approve.
Later, the 2010 drama Poetry followed aging caretaker Yang Mi-ja, played by Yoon Jeong-hee, as she copes with an Alzheimer’s diagnosis and her grandson’s involvement in a local scandal. Lee stated to Asia Business Daily at the time of its release that the film was an experiment to share meaningful and beautiful things disappearing due to social conditions.
