Eternity takes the love triangle to the afterlife as it sows discord among its three main characters. Directed by David Freyne from a screenplay by him and Patrick Cunnane, the romantic comedy takes a well-worn trope and breathes some new energy into it. This is a situation where the audience will be rooting for one couple over the other, while perhaps being frustrated with how long the romantic compeтιтion goes on before finally moving on.

It’s a genuinely funny film, though it’s only truly romantic in parts. The cast has fantastic chemistry together and, though the story could’ve explored its point further, Eternity is a largely entertaining rom-com that works best when it leans on the strengths of its cast rather than its narrative, which frustratingly tries to change the outcome to its premise a few times before settling into its point.

The film follows Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) and Larry (Miles Teller), who’ve been married for 65 years and who die a week apart from each other. Larry goes first, meeting Anna (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) in the afterlife, which functions like a tourist convention of people convincing the newly deceased of which eternity they should choose. Once chosen, they can’t go back or risk entering the void.

Larry is convinced that he and Joan, having spent the majority of their lives together, will do the same in their eternity. But when she dies and reunites with her first husband, Luke (Callum Turner), a soldier killed in action in the early days of their marriage, Joan is faced with the choice to live out her days with Larry, or the man she barely got to live with in life.

Eternity Will Have You Laughing Out Loud

But There Are Parts Of The Story That Don’t Quite Work

There’s never a dull moment as Eternity mines the comedy and cast chemistry for all it’s worth. It’s the fuel that keeps the film going, even as its plot grows tired during Luke and Larry’s lengthy “choose me” phase. Miles Teller is a particular standout. His scenes with Da’Vine Joy Randolph are a highlight. They’re fun together, and their energy just bleeds through the screen. John Early also shines in the moments he’s given. He and Rudolph are quite the pair once they get going.

The film picks things up when Joan lands in the afterlife, which is overwhelming and where the rules are never questioned. This is when Callum Turner really dials up the charm and the heart eyes. Compared to Larry, though, Luke isn’t as well-developed, likely because he died young and never really got to live a full life. And yet, we can see why Joan was so in love with Luke. The looks between them are electric. He waits for Joan for 67 years; she’s such a strong memory that she turns into a bit of a fantasy as well, a what-if scenario that is echoed by Joan.

Elizabeth Olsen has chemistry with both actors and, though her character is somewhat underwritten because the film is so focused on the compeтιтion between her husbands. She’s excellent on her own, bringing emotion and humor to a role that doesn’t fully get fleshed out until the final third of the film. As Joan struggles to make a decision, I wondered why it had to be made at all. Within Eternity is the potential for a better story, one where the characters question their new circumstances more closely.

It doesn’t help that the rom-com is so heavily focused on the comedy — which is indeed fantastic and one of the best reasons to watch the film — that it forgets to settle into its heartfelt moments. Larry sums it up best when he says that he’s not very deep; they just told him the rules and he didn’t bother to look beyond them. Three different endings undermine Joan’s first decision that, had we gotten more insight into her character, could have been better.

Eternity isn’t a bad rom-com; it’s charming and wildly entertaining for the most part, but by skirting a conventional narrative to be more creative, the story loses some of its effectiveness in the process.

Eternity premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. It will be released in theaters on November 26.