"Past Lives" is an emotionally impactful romantic drama from first-time director Celine Song that centers on two former childhood sweethearts and their fateful reunion more than two decades later.
A critical darling, the movie has been nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars 2024 and is set to stream on Paramount Plus in the U.S. from tomorrow (Feb. 2). If you’re currently abroad, we’ll show you how to watch "Past Lives" from anywhere with a VPN.
"Past Lives" will be available for streaming in the U.S. starting Friday, February 2, 2024.
• U.S. — Paramount Plus with Showtime
• Watch anywhere — try ExpressVPN risk-free
This semi-autobiographical movie inspired by Song’s experience as an immigrant chronicles the shifting dynamic between two childhood friends, Nora Moon (Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo). Growing up together in South Korea the pair are inseparable but when Nora’s family moves to Canada, they grow apart. 20 years later, reuniting in New York City they reflect on their journey, what they mean to each other and the choices they made.
A beautifully understated movie, you won’t find any overly dramatic declarations of undying love or rage-fueled arguments, "Past Lives" is instead a subtle exploration of how people can be intrinsically linked to each other in ways that are almost impossible to explain. Don’t just take my word for it — the flick currently holds an extremely impressive 96% Rotten Tomatoes rating.
So, if you want to have your heart broken and then stitched back together, here’s where to watch "Past Live" online and from anywhere. Plus, don’t miss our guide to streaming all the biggest 2024 Oscar movies from "The Holdovers" to "Oppenheimer."
How to watch 'Past Lives' in U.S.
"Past Lives" is exclusively streaming in the U.S. via Paramount Plus with Showtime starting Friday, February 2.
A regular Paramount Plus subscription costs $5.99 per month, but to watch "Past Lives," you will need a Paramount Plus with Showtime account which costs $11.99 a month. But, at the time of writing, new users can get a 7-day free trial.
Alternatively, "Past Lives" is available to buy or rent starting from $4.99 on several VOD services including Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play and YouTube.
Watch 'Past Lives' from anywhere
How to watch 'Past Lives' from anywhere in the world
What if you're usually based in the U.S. but are overseas right now? Perhaps, you're on holiday and don't want to spend money on a separate service in a foreign country when you'd usually be able to watch "Past Lives" on a streaming platform you already pay for at home.
Don't worry — you can watch it via a VPN instead. We'll show you how to do that below. Our favorite VPN service right now is ExpressVPN, but you'll find others in our best VPN services list.
Using a VPN is incredibly simple.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, ExpressVPN is our favorite.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're away from the U.S. and want to view Paramount Plus, you'd select a U.S.-based server from the list.
3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to your normal streaming service and watch the "Past Lives" stream as if you were back home.
'Past Lives' streams by country
How to watch 'Past Lives' in Canada
"Past Lives" hit theaters in Canada last summer but it's not currently available on any streaming services in the Great White North. However, you can buy or rent the movie via Amazon Prime, Apple TV and YouTube starting from CA$5.99.
However, if you're currently north of the border from the U.S. you can still use one of the best VPN services to access your usual streaming service. We recommend ExpressVPN thanks to its speed, reliability and trusted security features.
How to watch 'Past Lives' in the U.K.
"Past Lives" isn't available on Paramount Plus in the U.K. but the movie can be purchased or rented on Prime Video, Apple TV and Sky Store.
For now, anybody currently abroad from the U.S. can use one of the best VPN services to access their usual streaming service. We recommend ExpressVPN.
How to watch 'Past Lives' in Australia
It's a similar situation in Australia, "Past Lives" is not included in any service's library but is available to buy or rent on Amazon Prime, Apple TV and YouTube.
For now, anybody currently aboard from the U.S. can use one of the best VPN services to access their usual streaming service. We recommend ExpressVPN.
'Past Lives' trailer
'Past Lives' cast
While "Past Lives" is very much anchored by Greta Lee's powerful lead performance as Nora Moon, Teo Yoo and John Magaro have also earned plenty of plaudits for their roles as Hae Sung and Arthur respectively.
- Greta Lee as Nora Moon
- Seung Ah Moon as young Nora
- Teo Yoo as Hae Sung
- Seung Min Yim as young Hae Sung
- John Magaro as Arthur
- Ji Hye Yoon as Nora's mother
- Choi Won-young as Nora's father
- Min Young Ahn as Hae Sung's mother
- Jojo T. Gibbs as Janice
- Emily Cass McDonnell as Rachel
- Federico Rodriguez as Robert
- Conrad Schott as Peter
- Kristen Sieh as Heather
