Eternity is A24’s latest release, starring Miles Teller, Elizabeth Olsen and Callum Turner in an imaginative, witty rom-com set in an afterlife where souls have one week to decide where to spend eternity.
The film follows Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) as she faces the impossible decision between the man she spent her life with (Miles Teller) and her first love (Callum Turner), who died young and has been waiting decades for her to arrive.
I went into this film very sceptical. I’m an avid rom-com fan who loves the classics –
When Harry Met Sally, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill. But in recent years
the quality of rom-coms has declined rapidly, with the only notable modern exception being Anyone But You.
The one thing the 90s and early 2000s rom-coms all had in common was a brilliant
script. And that’s exactly where Eternity thrives.
Funnily enough, this won’t surprise anyone in Hollywood: Eternity was featured on the Black List – the annual list of the most-liked unproduced screenplays, voted for by over300 film executives and producers.
The writing is sharp, inventive and laugh-out-loud funny in moments. It has that fast- talking, quick-witted rhythm that makes us fall in love with rom-coms in the first place. What makes Eternity stand out is that, unlike those classics, it isn’t grounded in reality – it unfolds in a wonderfully unique supernatural afterlife.
As someone who is genuinely terrified of what happens after we die, I found unexpected comfort in the idea that the afterlife is a kind of crossroads, a place where you get to choose who and where you want to spend eternity.
With such a high concept and such a strong script, the film really needs its actors to deliver and every single one of them does.
Elizabeth Olsen’s performance is one of the film’s most impressive elements. Even
though she appears in her younger body, the way she speaks and moves captures the essence of someone who lived into their eighties. She brings that to life with such subtle skill.
Miles Teller, as expected, is brilliant as a grumpy but deeply devoted husband whose
only mission is to make his wife happy. But the real surprise here is Callum Turner. I
haven’t seen much of his work before, but he genuinely blew me away. He has great comedic timing, and he brings emotional depth to a character who could have easily been played as a flawless fantasy. And when Callum was in a dapper suit, I couldn’t help but think he would make a perfect Bond!
Da’Vine Joy Randolph also deserves a special mention. She fully deserved her Oscar for The Holdovers (one of my favourite films), and here she anchors the comedy, drama, supernatural elements and general chaos of Eternity. She’s becoming one of those actors whose presence alone makes you more excited to see a film.
This film won’t dominate awards season, but it fills a space the film industry is losing: a mid-budget, high-quality, entertaining movie that appeals to everyone – from A24 cinephiles to the older guy who only heard about it from the FT films column. Hollywood is missing films like this. For years they were the industry’s bread and butter.
I hope Eternity gives A24 the blueprint as they shift towards bigger-budget projects.
And on a personal note, here’s why I think Eternity truly works. My sister isn’t a regular movie-goer and always jokes that I should recommend fewer indie films and more movies she’d actually enjoy. When the credits rolled, she was the first person I thought of. This is one of those rare films that feels accessible, warm and universally appealing – something I could confidently recommend to her, and to pretty much anyone.
Charlie Bayliss (@Charlieshotme_)
Charlie works a full-time job, but on the side he makes films and creates content driven by a genuine love of cinema. Blending filmmaking and photography, he shares his passion for cinema through recommendations, film news, reviews, and his own cinematic work. You can find him on Instagram or TikTok: @CharlieShotMe_
