Eternity (2025)

“Eternity” stars Miles Teller, Elizabeth Olsen, Callum Turner, John Early, Olga Merediz, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph.  Releasing on November 26, 2025, the film follows a woman as she chooses between two men to spend eternity with.
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The film is directed by David Freyne, who also directed “The Cured” and “Dating Amber”.  Everyone has their vision of paradise they want to live in forever, often intertwined with their favorite hobbies.  For me, an ideal paradise would be a serene place where I could enjoy watching countless movies every day.  While it may be easy to choose which dream destination to go to, choosing the perfect companion to share that eternal paradise with can actually be a living hell.  This encapsulates the latest romantic comedy, which takes a classic love triangle and transports it to the afterlife, though this version of paradise seems more modern than heavenly.  With this year’s Thanksgiving holiday brimming with movies involving witches and anthropomorphic animals, it doesn’t hurt to have a whimsical love story in the mix as well, though it’s clear which film will come out on top.  Is this another rom-com worth an eternal watch, or should audiences seek a different paradise to embrace?  Let’s find out.

The story centers on Larry Cutler (Teller), a man enjoying a blissful life with his wife, Joan (Olsen).  However, everything changes when Larry unexpectedly dies during a gender reveal party.  He finds himself in the afterlife, where souls have just one week to decide on a location to spend eternity in.  As he navigates this bewildering afterlife, he discovers that Joan has also arrived in the afterlife after her death from cancer, reuniting them once more.  Unfortunately, their relationship takes an unforeseen twist when Joan’s first husband, Luke (Turner), a war veteran, enters the picture.  This complicates Joan’s emotions as she is faced with the difficult choice of spending eternity with her first love, who died in combat, or the man she currently loves.

I first discovered this film about a month ago through its trailer, which had some pretty intriguing elements that piqued my interest.  While it may seem like just another romance film with a love triangle, this one uniquely unfolds in the afterlife, where one’s choice of location can be permanent.  I've mentioned a lot that I lack enthusiasm for the romance genre, but if it offers a twist that’s enticing enough to reinvigorate the derivative narrative, I would be game to experience the unfolding love story.  After watching the trailer for “Eternity”, I felt like this film could help me feel the love again, especially with talents like Teller and Olsen in the cast.  While it’s also something I wouldn’t mind seeing at home, I ended up watching it sooner than expected due to the mystery movie event.  I thought it was going to be “Hamnet” based on its runtime and PG-13 rating, but that assumption changed when I saw its trailer before “Eternity”.

Admittedly, I was disappointed not to have the opportunity to see Chloe Zhao’s latest film before its release.  However, I also didn’t mind the movie I got instead.  It may not revolutionize the love-triangle narrative, but “Eternity” is one of the few romance films that made me feel warm inside rather than queasy through its schmaltzy aesthetics.  One aspect of the film that worked for me was its world-building.  It depicted the afterlife as a combination of a subway station and a hotel, where people who have passed on are given a limited time to decide their eternal destination.  Of course, once they made their choice, they had to stay there forever, emphasizing the once-in-a-lifetime choice for Joan to spend her eternity with.  This whimsical, vibrant, and grounded realm is straightforward yet refreshing in its reflection of people’s souls traversing through this hub world.  More importantly, it offers a few rules for this particular world-building that made sense in context and also led to effective gags stemming from the eternal worlds and characters.  It’s the kind of world that enhances the fantasy aspect of life after death while maintaining a metaphorical realism of the afterlife.

The production design also exudes a 1960s aura that’s reminiscent of films from that era.  Ruairi O’Brien’s cinematography, with its bright color palettes and twinkling aesthetics, echoes the essence of old-school filmmaking in a contemporary setting.  Its settings, brimming with life and zest, elicit a sense of charm and warmth you would typically see in a regular romance film.  However, this type of warmth is very different when it’s not bombarded with melodrama and cringy moments, thanks to David Freyne’s handling of its themes and balanced tone.  This was my first experience with Freyne’s vision, and based on what I saw, he impressed me enough to see what he might cook up next for his next directorial effort.  He possessed a well-focused eye that entwined its traditional love-fest with plenty of wit, color, and heart to spark an eternal connection with the audience, even those skeptical of the genre like myself.  Freyne’s screenplay, which he co-wrote with Pat Cunnane, may have fallen into some conventional traps in its narrative.  Nonetheless, it suitably highlights the characters’ humanity and even its feel-good themes involving love and death, with its core message being what it truly means to be happy.  It also ran a little too long, lasting one hour and 54 minutes.  While the pacing was tolerable, it can feel like you’re spending an eternity watching the Scarlet Witch choose between two husbands.  With enough tightness in its script, it could end up being a more breezy watch for those who are curious.

As mentioned earlier, the cast was one of the reasons for my interest in “Eternity”, along with its concept.  Unsurprisingly, they did not disappoint with their performances.  Miles Teller delivered another worthy performance that captured his charm and humor, with his portrayal of Larry highlighting the character’s flawed yet well-meaning humanity.  There were a couple of moments where Larry made some questionable decisions, but Teller’s talents ensured that these moments came across as genuine rather than irritating.  I also find it nice that I get to see Elizabeth Olsen in something again outside her renowned role as Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Don’t get me wrong, I love Olsen as the Scarlet Witch, but I also wouldn’t mind watching her in something that allows her to express her talents further.  Her role as Joan is one such case, as she commanded every scene she’s in through her heartfelt, occasionally delicate, and even amusing performance.  I would even say that this is one of her finest performances outside the MCU so far.  Callum Turner also did a decent job with his performance as Luke, and John Early delivered some suitable comic relief as Ryan, Joan’s afterlife coordinator.  However, in terms of the film’s comedy, I think Da’Vine Joy Randolph takes the cake in making me chuckle regarding her role as Anna.  After appearing in a couple of recent duds like “Shadow Force” and “Bride Hard”, the Oscar winner has finally starred in another good movie that warrants her promising talents.

Overall, “Eternity” is a pleasant time in the afterlife that weaves its whimsical concept into a mildly entertaining love triangle narrative.  Director David Freyne offers one of the many romantic films that balances its comedic elements with genuine love while also being smart enough to reflect its depiction of love and happiness.  Its conventional storytelling may not hit all of its emotional marks due to a few predictable plot elements, and its structure could’ve been less eternal with a more concise runtime.  Fortunately, there’s enough charm and pizazz to ensure that this trip to paradise is the decision worth making.  With its solid cast, decent screenplay, and refreshingly zestful production designs, this latest romantic comedy is sure to be a choice that genre enthusiasts would happily revisit for eternity.

B-