Eternity Review: A24’s Afterlife Romance Shoots for the Stars With Elizabeth Olsen and Miles Teller

Eternity is a high-concept afterlife romance from A24.

‘Eternity’ is the latest high-concept romantic comedy from A24 directed by David Freyne. It comes with a fascinating setup that promises metaphysical reflection and some big genre swings: what if you were faced with a choice in the afterlife of spending eternity with your spouse, or with your first love who died before you could experience a lifetime with them? While not everything in the film truly works, it should still be appreciated for its willingness to play with genre and take a step outside the box.

A Love Triangle Beyond Life

Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) passes away after a full life with her husband of 65 years, and soon after arrives in the afterlife “junction,” where she is immediately faced with a choice. She must choose between spending eternity with her husband, Larry (Miles Teller), or with her first husband, Luke (Callum Turner). Luke, a war veteran who lost his life in Korea, has been waiting 67 years in the junction to be reunited with Joan.

The Rules and Worlds of the Afterlife

To make the high-concept work, ‘Eternity’ has to play around with a lot of rules. Rules such as: you appear in the afterlife as you did when you were the absolute happiest in life, which is why many of the afterlife occupants return to a younger form.

Also, there’s an almost unlimited number of themed eternities to choose from, such as ‘Beach World’ or an outer space-themed region. A big source of comedy in the film is just keeping an eye out for the various themed lands that are advertised in the background. The big rule of ‘Eternity’ is that once you choose an eternity, you can’t leave it or move between them, which is why the love triangle dynamic is so important.

This premise is both vital and detrimental to the film as a whole. The eternities boast boundless possibilities and an endless supply of choices, but are contrasted by limiting the main character to choosing one eternity with one person — an extremely bleak look at how to spend billions of your future years.

Performances From Olsen, Teller, and Turner

Elizabeth Olsen and Miles Teller both have fun playing characters who were in their later years of life before being suddenly thrust back into their younger bodies. This comes with predictable forms of physical comedy, but both Olsen and Teller are endearing enough to make it work.

Teller in particular does a stellar job of playing a guy who doesn’t expect his eternity to deter too much from the comfortable life he was living before death, and this new love triangle is a major inconvenience for his eternal vacation. One of the biggest problems the movie faces is Turner, who is definitely good at smoldering and attractiveness but lacks the charm needed for the audience to really want Joan to end up with him.

However, the film does land the plane. In its final act, ‘Eternity’ brings enough heart, enough clarity of purpose, and enough emotional resonance to redeem the uneven patches. While at multiple points in the film it seemed like no ending would be satisfying, it ultimately feels like it leaves off on the correct note.

Verdict

David Freyne’s ‘Eternity’ is a romantic film that tries something different by blending whimsy, existential choice, and the familiar beats of a love story. It may not be flawless, but it’s earnest, inventive, and ultimately (mostly) satisfying.

Eternity opens in theaters on November 26th.

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