What if you had the chance to pick up where love left off after death—but had to choose if that date would be the one for all time? David Freyne’s charming afterlife comedy “Eternity” takes a simple premise of a person forced to choose between two prospective suitors and elaborates the concept with clever world-building and emotional relationship dynamics.
Larry (Miles Teller) wakes up from death at a purgatory-like train station with a hotel on top and a never-ending, busy convention hall just off the lobby where agents help newcomers decide which themed eternity is right for them. Is Queer World the place to be, or is it Outdoor World or Wine World or Museum World or Man-free World or any other number of paradises?
Larry is soon joined by his wife, Joan (Elizabeth Olsen), who dies not long after him. Their reunion is challenged by the appearance of her first husband, Luke (Callum Turner), who died at war and has waited decades for his own reunion with her. Now, Joan must decide which of the two men she’ll spend the rest of eternity with.
Like “Defending Your Life” and “A Matter of Life and Death,” the world of “Eternity” is more bureaucratic than the stories of pearly gates and an afterworld among the clouds (although that is one of the options for eternity if Studio 54 World doesn’t strike your fancy). Co-writers Freyne and Patrick Cunnane Strong look to have had a field day coming up with all the world’s many rules and silly verbal and visual jokes for the film, be it the artificiality of this station-conference-hotel where curtains drape down to show fake sunrises and sunsets to mark the hours of the day, or the many goofy “Westworld”-esque themed lands to choose where to spend eternity.
Much of the film’s humor is carried out in these gags, and there are plenty to keep things lively as the story gets serious. There’s the delicate balancing act between Joan, Larry and Luke to keep audiences guessing, as each of them on the verge of heartbreak because neither Luke nor Larry want to share Joan, have different ideas of what their ideal forever home will be, and once you pick your eternity of choice, it’s forbidden to leave, so Joan can’t visit the other partner if they choose another world different than her own.
Although the main concept of the premise—that Joan can only spend eternity with one partner—could have been resolved with a “Design for Living” compromise, that’s not how things play out. Fortunately, the actors behind the characters are just as delightful to watch as the events that unfold next. Olsen plays Joan as nervously caught in the middle of an impossible situation; she has a new determination not to sacrifice her own happiness for others, something she often did in her earthly role as a wife and mother. Teller plays Larry like an older man, truly seeing his partner for the first time, unable to take her loyalty for granted, he fights for her to varying degrees of success. Turner plays Luke at a softer register than Teller’s Larry, as his quiet confidence and determination to see Joan again have shaped his personality in this purgatory station.
None of these main performances is necessarily show-y, but their understated approach is partly why the movie’s personal drama in a kooky afterlife works so well. The film’s supporting cast adds even more punchlines to the narrative, especially Da’Vine Joy Randolph and John Early as competitive agents with their own agendas, and Joan’s friend Karen (played by a scene-stealing Olga Merediz), who only realizes her true happiness later in life.
While some of the film’s internal logic doesn’t always stick, Freyne’s romantic comedy is an absolute charmer. The afterlife Freyne envisions is so creative and evolving, you’re learning about its many intricacies just as the characters are navigating it. Yet because of this comically imaginative exploration of life and what it all means, the movie is light-hearted and funny, yet still moving. Why wait for eternity to find paradise? Why take those we love for granted? “Eternity” may as well be a small slice of heaven on earth: a good time at the movies.
