Reel Review: Eternity Is The Best Rom-Com Drama In Years
Soon after the passing of Larry (Miles Teller), his wife Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) joins him in death at a place where people must choose where to spend their eternity. Much to everyone’s surprise, Joan’s first husband who died in the war, Luke (Callum Turner) reveals that he’s been waiting decades for her to join him in eternity. The two men fight over their forever with Joan by showing the best parts of their partnerships. The three are advised by a pair of afterlife coordinators, Anna (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) and Ryan (John Early), who have no trouble sharing their opinion.
Much to A24’s credit, they’ve been dominating the year with their summer romance hit Materialists. While that film had mixed reception, it brought in big crowds and started meaningful and necessary conversations around love and modern dating. While Materialists focuses on a love triangle in life, Eternity offers a different perspective through death.
One of life’s greatest questions is what happens when we die? There truly is no singular answer, but what this film proposes is that there is an eternity available to you where you can exist forever after death. It is up to you, upon your passing, to decide where to go and who to go with. A seemingly simple questions with a million variables to consider, especially with two men vying for your love and attention for the rest of eternity. I commend David Freyne for writing a nuanced script that explores every possible option, not just the most idyllic one. The casting director, production designer, and cinematographer all deserve flowers for executing this film to level they did. Not only is it thematically beautiful, but Eternity delivers a unique yet familiar visual aesthetic.
While most people in life live by the statement of “It’s about the journey, not the destination”, this film offers the opposite. You must make a finite decision for where you want to reside forever, and you cannot change your mind. Elizabeth Olsen is so charming and endearing in this film, it isn’t even an option for her to make the wrong decision. It’s the what if vs the familiar when it comes to her partners and it’s nearly impossible to compare.
Da’Vine Joy Randolph and John Early beautifully round out this cast offering moments of comedic reprieve alongside tender heartfelt reactions reminiscent of what the audience feels. They serve as narrators and instigators in how Joan goes about her decision. The two are fantastic alone, but paired together they are an iconic duo making this movie worth the watch alone.
This movie hits every single beat you want from this genre. There were laughs, smiles, tears, and edge of your seat excitement. The back and forth doesn’t feel forced or overly contrived, and the chemistry between everyone is off the charts. There isn’t a single moment in this film that is a waste or takes away from the heart of the story. Miles Teller playing the grumpy yet endearing old man who knows his partner better than anyone else. Callum Turner articulates the one that got away trope with genuine yearning. There isn’t a character not worth rooting for, making this one of the most captivating romance watches in years.
Eternity delivers a heartfelt and captivating journey about love, loss, and what ifs. You will laugh and cry and root for every single character. The visual style is so unique and feels lived in though it’s supposed to appear artificial in some ways. I could watch this film five times over and still not be sick of it.
Eternity is playing in theaters now.
