[Edaily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] Director Lee Chang-dong’s new film, *Possible Love*, has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics in the competition section of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival and has emerged as a strong contender for the Golden Lion, the festival’s top honor.

As of the 10th, among the 17 films released so far out of the 21 entries in the Venice Film Festival’s competition section, Director Lee Chang-dong’s “Possible Love” is maintaining the top spot with an overall media rating of 89 points. This score is a composite figure derived from reviews on major global review platforms such as Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, and Letterboxd.
“Possible Love” is the only film in the competition to maintain a 100% “Fresh” rating on the U.S. review site Rotten Tomatoes, and it has received consistently top-tier ratings across all three platforms: 93 on Metacritic and 3.7 on Letterboxd.
This achievement surpasses the new works of world-renowned masters who were considered strong contenders, including Martin McDonagh’s “Wild Horse Nine” (84), Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Look Back” (80), Lance Oppenheim’s “Prime Time” (80), and Danny Boyle’s “Ink” (78). However, on Letterbox, “Wild Horse Nine” (4 points) scored higher than “Possible Love” (3.7 points).
International critics are taking note of *Possible Love*’s nuanced exploration of class, labor, and desire. Director Lee Chang-dong’s new film—his first in eight years since *Burning*—depicts economic inequality, human desire, and perspectives on others’ lives through the encounter between a couple of laid-off workers and a couple of documentary filmmakers.

The Hollywood Reporter hailed *Possible Love* as “a sensation at the Venice Film Festival,” praising it as a work that delves into the economic and emotional anxieties of modern society. *The Guardian* highlighted it as “a film distinguished by its delicate direction, beautiful performances, and novelistic atmosphere.”
This year’s Venice Film Festival competition jury, led by jury president and American actress-director Maggie Gyllenhaal, consists of seven masters and film industry figures, including Hong Kong director Johnny To, Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania, and French director Xavier Giannoli, who will determine the award winners. A key point of interest is whether the local critics’ reviews will translate into actual votes from the jury.
Director Lee Chang-dong previously won the Silver Lion Award for Best Director for his film *Oasis* at the 59th Venice International Film Festival in 2002. If he wins the top prize this time for *Possible Love*, he will make history by claiming the Golden Lion on the Venice stage for the first time in about 24 years. It would also mark the first time in 14 years that a Korean film has won Venice’s top prize, following Director Kim Ki-duk’s *Pieta* in 2012.
Based on international critics’ reviews so far, *Possible Love* is considered a strong contender for the Golden Lion. However, since festival awards depend on a complex interplay of factors—including the jury’s judgment and the film’s thematic significance—the film industry’s attention is focused on the final outcome.
Attention is focused on whether Director Lee Chang-dong, returning to the Venice Competition section for the first time in 24 years, will be able to secure his second Venice trophy—and the top prize, the Golden Lion—with “Possible Love.” The final winners are scheduled to be announced at the closing ceremony and awards ceremony on the 12th.