It’s not every day a rom-com about death hits the big screen, but A24’s new film “Eternity,” directed by David Freyne, arrives with a surprisingly warm take on the afterlife. Released in theaters Nov. 26, the film blends the lines between genres while keeping a clear plot and going above expectations.
“Eternity” stars Elizabeth Olsen and Miles Teller as Joan and Larry, who have been married for six decades and they pass away and move on to the afterlife. In this universe, death is less of an ending and more a bureaucratic adventure.
In the world of “Eternity” you board a retro 1970s train and arrive at a convention center as the version of yourself from the age you were happiest. From there, you have a week to select where you want to spend eternity. One could choose to sun bath forever in Beach World, go to a men-free utopia or a 1960s Paris-inspired realm where everyone conveniently speaks English. The choices feel endless and most of them are pretty humorous and odd.
After Joan dies and reunites with Larry, they’re ready to settle into eternity together. Until Joan’s first husband, Luke (Callum Turner), who died in the Korean War, appears unexpectedly after 67 years of waiting for her. In a pretty convincing speech, he confesses his love for her. Joan is suddenly thrown into an impossible choice, spending an eternity with her first love who she didn't get a life with or the partner she raised a family with and loved for decades.
The result is a charming, quirky love triangle that subverts classic rom-com tropes. But what is different about the “Eternity” love triangle is that it shows how relationships change and evolve over time. How a first love can linger in memory for a lifetime and how the idea of a “soulmate” might not be a fixed definition, especially in the afterlife. The film balances its existential questions with constant humor, keeping the tone light but impactful.
Olsen and Teller are the film's beating heart. One of the most impressive parts of the production is the performance they both give. Both actors tackle the unique challenge of portraying characters who look youthful but carry the emotional weight and wisdom of age. Their chemistry feels lived-in with a gentle annoyance that comes with being married for 60 years balanced bt the tenderness of a love that has surpassed decades. Turner's performance in contrast is hopeful, charming and youthful and his character represents the idealism that only the memory of a first love can carry.
By the time Joan must make her choice, “Eternity” has become more than a rom-com, but also a story about devotion, memory and aging. The film takes on complex relationships while maintaining each character as an individual with their own aspirations and inner worlds. It is whimsical and funny without being shallow and takes on one of the most driving questions we have as humans: what happens after we die? The film is bold enough to imagine an afterlife shaped not by fear but love and connection.
It pulls on your heartstrings in more ways than one and offers, for me at least, a refreshing way to reimage the afterlife and how love will evolve even beyond death.
“Eternity” is a clever and original film that encourages viewers not just to consider what comes after life, but who we hope to spend it with and what truly matters when forever is suddenly on the line.
