Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) finds herself in the afterworld with an impossible choice. Should she spend eternity with Larry (Miles Teller, warm and surprisingly likable in the role), the man who shared her whole life, or with Luke (Callum Turner, giving the younger love a steady sincerity), the first husband she lost when he went off to war in their youth? Both make their case, and Joan’s decision only grows harder. Guiding her through this dilemma are Ryan (John Early) and Anna (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), two afterlife coordinators who bend the rules and stage a competition in which both men must imagine the ideal afterlife for her.
Such a premise would not have felt out of place in the early 2000s, when high-concept fantasy rom-coms filled video store shelves. More than two decades later, Eternity’s biggest distinction is how much of a throwback it feels. There is a levity and simple charm here that is rare in either theatrical releases or streaming originals today. Care has gone into the production design, the performances, and the direction, all trying to sell the heart and authenticity of such a wacky setup.
The cast has plenty of fun with the material, and for a while, it feels like something is really cooking. Especially in setting up the competition, the film lays a strong foundation for exploring its ideas while also offering increasingly ridiculous comic scenarios. There are nice world-building touches, too, like pamphlets advertising “Beach World” or a cabin where people can relive moments of their lives. In those moments, beyond the 2000s romance framework, the movie even recalls a Pixar sensibility. The universe hints at deeper reflections on fulfillment, regret, compromise, and love, but the film insists on keeping things light and playing out the triangle as a witty set piece.
The thing is that the film is not structured as a simple feel-good film and is just a fluffy, fun film, carrying the structure as if building up to bigger realizations. Up until a moment where a character chases a train, everything is going extremely well. But from this moment onward, it feels like both director David Freyne and writer Pat Cunnane miss the ball on either not finishing the film sooner or truly exploring its themes. Of course, the latter would have been preferred, and one can imagine what Pixar at its peak might have done with such a premise. However, even when compared to the 2000s fantasy rom coms it resembles in structure, like Click, 17 Again, and The Family Man, it comes off as shallow. Those films took their playful hooks and still found space for real conversations about loss and regret, letting a touch of genuine melancholy give them weight. In Eternity, the pieces are there, such as the scenes of rewatching moments from their lives, but they stay on the surface and never quite resonate.
With little left to say, the second half begins to feel long. It is structured as if the film is preparing for deeper conversations, but since they never come, it just circles the obvious conclusion (a character’s reaction to a comment early on gives it away).
Because its emotional reach is so modest, Eternity ends up weightless. This comes in spite of strong performances and some impressive technical craft. Just as Click once surprised with an Oscar nomination for makeup, this would not look out of place in a production design category. The music is quite pretty, the cast is appealing, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph and John Early are especially funny in all their scenes. But this film that will not stay in memories for eternity.
This is part of Reviews On Reels TIFF 2025 Coverage. Due to the hectic rhythm of a film festival, it may be tweaked in the future.
Still courtesy of TIFF.