Lee Chang-dong has not released a new feature since Burning in 2018, so the first question fans outside Korea are asking is simple. When does Possible Love land on Netflix where I live, and is it worth clearing almost three hours for it? The second question comes right after. If you have never seen a Lee Chang-dong film, which one should you watch first?
This guide answers both with checked sources: the exact Possible Love Netflix release time converted for the US, the UK and Korea, what the film is about without spoilers, the prizes it has already won, and a short route through Lee’s earlier films with the one we would pick for each kind of viewer.
Possible Love Netflix release time by country
The Netflix title page for Possible Love lists an availability start of 2026-11-06 08:00 UTC, checked on November 3, 2026. Netflix also confirmed the November 6 global date in its September 14 newsroom announcement. US daylight saving time ends on November 1, so the East Coast is five hours behind UTC by release night, not four.
| Where you watch | Local release time | Date |
|---|---|---|
| US Pacific (PST) | 12:00 a.m. | Friday, Nov 6 |
| US Eastern (EST) | 3:00 a.m. | Friday, Nov 6 |
| UK (GMT) | 8:00 a.m. | Friday, Nov 6 |
| Central Europe (CET) | 9:00 a.m. | Friday, Nov 6 |
| India (IST) | 1:30 p.m. | Friday, Nov 6 |
| South Korea (KST) | 5:00 p.m. | Friday, Nov 6 |
| Sydney (AEDT) | 7:00 p.m. | Friday, Nov 6 |
The practical takeaway: viewers in the Americas can start it as Thursday night turns into Friday, while Europe and Asia get it during Friday daytime. Press the Remind Me button on the title page now and the app will tell you when the play button goes live.
Possible Love follows two couples brought together by a documentary
Netflix describes the setup in one line: a laid-off worker and his wife cross paths with a documentary filmmaker and her spouse, and all four confront desires they had kept hidden. The Netflix Tudum feature of October 27, 2026 fills in the names. Mi-ok (Jeon Do-yeon) lives quietly with her laid-off husband Ho-seok (Sul Kyung-gu) and their young son. A funeral brings them into contact with Ye-ji (Cho Yeo-jeong), a filmmaker making a documentary about laid-off workers, and her affluent husband Sang-woo (Zo In-sung).
When Mi-ok agrees to be filmed, she grows close to Ye-ji and finds herself drawn to the hard-to-read Sang-woo. That is as far as this guide goes. No ending details here, and none in the FAQ either.
- Jeon Do-yeon as Mi-ok. She won Best Actress at Cannes for Lee’s Secret Sunshine.
- Sul Kyung-gu as Ho-seok. He led Lee’s Peppermint Candy and Oasis.
- Cho Yeo-jeong as Ye-ji. Western viewers know her from Parasite.
- Zo In-sung as Sang-woo. Both he and Cho are working with Lee for the first time.
Lee co-wrote the script with Oh Jung-mi, his writing partner on Burning, according to Netflix’s August 2025 production announcement. Pinehouse Film, which produced Burning, is back as a producer too. Possible Love is a standalone story, not a Burning sequel, even though much of the same creative team returns.
Why a Lee Chang-dong film is streaming on Netflix
Lee did not set out to make a streaming film. In an interview carried by The Straits Times on November 2, 2026 (from The Korea Herald), the 72-year-old director said he looked for theatrical backers in early 2025 and came up empty. He described the industry at that moment as being at its lowest point. Netflix agreed from the start to a Korean theatrical run before the global launch, and let him make the film his way.
That run happened in stages. Netflix’s newsroom lists a South Korean cinema release on September 23, Australia on October 22, and the UK, Japan, the US and Canada on October 23. If a local art-house cinema is still showing it, the big screen is a fair choice for a 2h 47m film built on long, patient scenes. Everyone else can stream it from November 6.
Venice Silver Lion and an Oscar submission back the hype
La Biennale’s official awards list for the 83rd Venice International Film Festival gives the Silver Lion, Grand Jury Prize, to Ga-Neung-Han Sa-Rang (Possible Love) by Lee Chang-dong. That is the second-highest prize in the main competition. The festival’s collateral awards page adds the FIPRESCI international critics’ prize for best film in the Venezia 83 competition. The ceremony took place on September 12, 2026.
On August 25, 2026, the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) named Possible Love South Korea’s submission for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards. A 15-member panel chaired by critic Jung Sung-il made the pick. A submission is not a nomination yet; the Academy still has to shortlist and then nominate it. Netflix Tudum also reports three Gotham Award nominations, including one for Jeon Do-yeon’s lead performance.
Lee Chang-dong movies: which one to watch before Possible Love
Lee is a published novelist who came to filmmaking in his 40s. Possible Love is only his seventh feature since his 1997 debut, Green Fish. The awards below come from Netflix’s official production notes and KOFIC. Each film stands alone, so you can watch them in any order.
| Year | Film | Major recognition | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Green Fish | Lee’s debut feature | Completists |
| 1999 | Peppermint Candy | A life told backwards across 20 years of Korean history; Sul Kyung-gu’s breakout | Fans of Sul Kyung-gu |
| 2002 | Oasis | Silver Lion for Best Director, 59th Venice Film Festival | Viewers who want the toughest love story |
| 2007 | Secret Sunshine | Best Actress for Jeon Do-yeon, 60th Cannes Film Festival | Anyone watching Possible Love for Jeon |
| 2010 | Poetry | Best Screenplay, 63rd Cannes Film Festival | Quiet, character-first drama fans |
| 2018 | Burning | Cannes competition and FIPRESCI prize; first Korean film shortlisted for the foreign-language Oscar | First-time Lee viewers |
Our pick for a first-timer is Burning. It is the most suspenseful of the six, it shares a co-writer and producer with Possible Love, and it shows you the slow-burn pacing to expect on November 6. If Jeon Do-yeon is the reason you are tuning in, choose Secret Sunshine instead. Her Cannes-winning role there is the clearest preview of what Lee asks of her.
Netflix said on September 14, 2026, that Green Fish and Secret Sunshine started streaming in late August in Italy, the UK, France, Australia and New Zealand. Peppermint Candy and Oasis joined in Italy and Spain on September 4. Netflix also said Poetry and Burning are planned for markets including the US, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Search each title in your own Netflix app before planning a marathon, because Netflix says availability and timing vary by country.
Plan the 2h 47m runtime before you press play
Possible Love runs 2 hours 47 minutes, according to Netflix Tudum. That is longer than Burning and close to a three-hour evening once you add a break. Lee’s films reward full attention, and the plot turns on small looks and silences that are easy to miss on a phone during a commute.
The film is in Korean. Watching with subtitles rather than a dub keeps the cast’s own performances, which are the main reason this film is getting awards attention. Start it on a night when you can watch straight through, then decide on your second Lee film the next day.
For more Korean titles arriving on Netflix this season, our weekly new K-dramas on Netflix guide tracks release dates. If you want another major Korean director’s new film, see our guide to Na Hong-jin’s Hope and where to watch it.
Possible Love Netflix frequently asked questions
Is Possible Love a K-drama series or a movie?
It is a single feature film, not an episodic series. Netflix lists it under Dramas as one title, so there are no episodes to wait for and the whole story is available from November 6.
When will we know if Possible Love gets an Oscar nomination?
KOFIC said in its August 25, 2026 announcement that the Academy’s preliminary shortlist will be decided by the end of 2026. The 99th Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled for March 2027, with nominations announced before that.
Did Lee Chang-dong receive any other award this year?
Yes. Netflix’s September 14, 2026 announcement says Lee became the first Korean director to win the Ebert Director Award at the 51st Toronto International Film Festival, where Possible Love also screened.
