‘Eternity’ Brings the Dying Rom-com Genre Back to Life

In a genre on life support, “Eternity,” — a film centered on love, death and the afterlife – resuscitates the art of the rom-com in a way that hasn’t been done since the ‘90s.

Co-written by Pat Cunnane and director David Freyne, the film follows the recently deceased Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) as she’s greeted in the afterlife by her long-time second husband Larry (Miles Teller) who passed a week prior and her “one that got away” war-hero first husband Luke (Callum Turner), both vying for Joan to spend an eternity with them. 

With the help of his afterlife coordinator Anna (Da’vine Joy Randolph), the stubborn and complaining Larry must figure out ways to convince his wife to not choose a tempting eternity with Luke, who’s been waiting for her arrival in the 67 years since his premature death.

The complicated romantic premise makes for whimsical moments and hysterical performances given by Randolph (“The Holdovers,” “Only Murders in the Building”) and John Early — who plays Ryan — Joan and Luke’s afterlife coordinators, respectively. 

Similarly, eternities like smoke world where “cigarettes can’t kill,” a 1930s Germany without Nazis and genocide and a manless eternity for women who are exhausted, are hilarious worlds to conceptualize and added to the film’s unserious nature.

However, despite its the humorous nature, the solemnity returns instantaneously with performances from Teller (“Whiplash,” “Top Gun: Maverick”), Olsen (“WandaVision,” “Love & Death”) and Turner (“Masters of the Air,” “The Last Letter from Your Lover”) that articulated the weight of Joan’s decision through crestfallen facial expressions and line delivery.

The balance of both the romantic and comedic elements make the film refreshing, especially in an industry that’s gotten confused about what makes a rom-com great — oftentimes focusing solely on the comedy and not the building of a fiery love story or vice versa.

In a scene where Larry laughably says the wrong thing and Luke gets the upperhand, Teller hooked audiences back in, garnering sympathy for a character who just wants to make his wife happy.

Similarly, Olsen delivers an impeccable performance of a woman caught in a love triangle without making it feel overly stereotypical. She transforms scenes and can make audiences weep based on her melancholic demeanour and voice alone, demonstrating her acting prowess as Joan experiences every emotion in the book in the span of the film’s nearly two-hour runtime.

As Joan goes through this back and forth of who to choose, so does the viewer. The movie doesn’t manipulate or make either husband the obvious favorite or no-brainer choice. Instead, it leaves fans room to possibly feel disappointed in Joan’s choice but ultimately understand why she chose who she did.

Turner delivers a swoon-worthy and charismatic performance as one of the leading men. Luke is seemingly heaven-sent, saying all the right things, having an infectious personality and often being referred to as perfect throughout the film. As perfect as he is, Luke is also a man with flaws, battling with the idea of another man giving Joan the life he always wanted to give her. Turner brilliantly portrays the art of yearning with a character who never truly got a chance to live a life with their love.

However, as dashing as Turner is, Teller is the heart of this film. Like Olsen, he pulls on heartstrings with puppy dog eyes, an inferiority complex and adds levity with his expert comedic timing and back and forth with Randolph. 

As much as the film centers around Joan’s looming decision, it’s just as much Larry’s underdog journey as we see him fight for an eternity with his wife he believed was a given. 

Audiences won’t mind spending an eternity in the theater watching this film on loop because it’s just that good.

“Eternity” is in theaters Nov. 26.