Eternity (2025) A24/Fantasy-Comedy RT: 114 minutes Rated PG-13 (sexual content, some strong language) Director: David Freyne Screenplay: Pat Cunnane and David Freyne Music: David Fleming Cinematography: Ruairi O’Brien Release date: November 26, 2025 (US) Cast: Miles Teller, Elizabeth Olsen, Callum Turner, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, John Early, Olga Merediz.
Rating: ** ½
Life is complicated; we know that. Who knew the afterlife could be even more complicated? That’s the idea behind the fantasy rom-com Eternity.
It all starts when Larry Cutler dies suddenly. He wakes up on a train as his younger self (Teller, Top Gun: Maverick). It takes him to a waiting area to meet with his AC (Afterlife Coordinator) Anna (Randolph, The Holdovers) who tells his he has seven days to choose his eternity. There are plenty to choose from. He wants to wait for his terminally ill wife Joan to get there. Luckily, he doesn’t have to wait very long. She dies soon after he does. She arrives as her younger self (Olsen, Ingrid Goes West). That’s when things get complicated.
It turns out her first husband Luke (Turner, Fantastic Beasts 2 & 3) has been waiting 67 years to reunite with her. He was killed in the Korean War. A grief-stricken Joan married Larry about a year later. They spent 65 years together; they raised a family and built a life together. But she never got completely over Larry. She always wondered what life would have been like with him. Now Joan is faced with an impossible choice. Who will she spend her eternity with, Larry or Luke? She has seven days to decide.
Directed by David Freyne (Dating Amber), Eternity has an interesting premise and a sly sense of humor. Unfortunately, the movie itself suffers from pacing issues. It tends to meander, especially in the middle section. At 114 minutes, it runs a little longer than it really needs to. However, I like what it’s about; the enduring power of love. Also, it’s smart. There are some good ideas floating around. In this version of the afterlife, there is no heaven or hell. There’s just a place called “The Void” reserved mostly for dissatisfied clients who try to escape their eternity. That’s the main rule. Once you choose an eternity, that’s it. That’s where you stay for…. well, you know.
Freyne put together a decent ensemble. Elizabeth once again proves she’s the Olsen sister with true acting talent. I like how she balances roles in mainstream movies (e.g. Wanda/Scarlet Witch in the MCU) with more challenging ones in indie film (e.g. Martha Marcy May Marlene, Wind River). She’s quite good as Joan, a woman torn between two husbands, one that she idealized while spending her life with the other. Teller is good as reliable Larry, a guy with no pretenses. What you see is what you get. Turner does solid work as the perfect man who isn’t as perfect as Joan remembers. Even he says he’s not perfect. The three leads have good chemistry. Randolph provides nice comic relief as the sassy AC. She has great rapport with Joan and Luke’s AC Ryan (Early, Search Party).
There’s not a whole lot else to say about Eternity. It’s a decent enough movie. It’s not great. It is, however, a nice movie. It’s pleasant and generally good-natured. It never aims to be mean. For me, that’s a strong selling point. In these times, we need more pleasantness.
