The Wasteland Reviewer

Eternity (2025) Written Review

How would you want to spend the rest of eternity and with whom? This is quite a heavy question with so many things to consider. You must explore what you would want to do for the remainder of eternity. Finding that one thing that you will never tire of is quite a heavy task. But you also must think about the person you would possibly want to spend the rest of existence with. Looking for a person whose personality, you can stand for endless time, is an even harder choice. There is plenty of cinematic potential in a concept like this with writer/director David Freyne tackling it in A24’s latest comedy, Eternity. 

How does Freyne bring such a bold and ambitious story to life on the big screen? Eternity was a crisp classic feel to it through the slightly vintage looking visuals. Cinematography Ruairi O’Brien brings this film to life with a vibrant, colorful, and textured look. The production design of the film’s midway places before eternity is quite detailed and fully realized in such an engaging way. The design of the hotel/train station combination and all the different eternities is quite clever and interesting. Freyne does an excellent job of balancing the humor, emotion, romance, and fantastical elements of the story. Tonally sound, Eternity turns out to be quite a charming and moving experience. The music composed by David Fleming delivers plenty of layers as well as it accentuates the emotional rollercoaster that is Eternity. The film is quite sharply directed too with a strong pace. You will laugh. You will cry. You will have an existential crisis. Eternity has it all. 

How does this high concept idea mix with the romance of the story? Eternity is a great example of combining an interesting bit of world-building is an engaging romance at its core. There are plenty of clever bits of world-building, especially with all the different eternities that the film explores. The commercials and advertisements for them are a nice touch. The idea of this middle ground hotel is a fun way of exploring the afterlife as well. There is plenty of sharp comedy throughout the script with some great comic relief characters (including two of the ACs who engage with the protagonists). The way the characters navigate the idea of eternity is thoughtful and engaging. But it is the central love triangle that gives the film its depth and heart. Sure, Cunnane and Freyne’s script dabbles in some romantic comedy cliches but there is something rich and earnest about these characters. The big question of who Joan is going to choose (her first love and war hero or her lifelong husband) drives the film forward in such a moving and poignant way. This story is so well fleshed out that you feel connected throughout all the twists and turns of their journey.

Does the cast make the most of this clever and layered story? First off, Elizabeth Olsen is endlessly charming in this film. Her smile. Her laugh. The deep look of longing when she sees her first long again. All of this makes her presence so infectious. We see her navigate a range of emotions along the way and she excels with so many different states of being. She does some fun drinking and hungover acting for sure. The amount of heart that Olsen injects into her performance anchors the whole film. Miles Teller is charming in a grumpy and crabby kind of way. He captures this personality perfectly and he has some great chemistry with Olsen. Callum Turner is a strong and charming presence and he gets a few moments to really flex his acting chops (especially towards the end of the film). There is some excellent support work, especially from Da’Vine Joy Randolph. Her effortless charm and comedic timing give the film countless laughs along the way. She even injects some real charm and emotion along the way. John Early and Olga Merediz both make fun additions to the film as well.

Is Eternity a big win for A24? Few films have navigated the afterlife with such vibrance, charm, and heart. The trio of the main cast are excellent with Olsen really stealing the whole show. The script is stuffed with laughs from start to finish (making for one of the funniest cinematic experiences of the year). This clever and sharp script has plenty of heart and soul as well with a few strong emotional beats. Forget the cliches and the bits of melodrama…Eternity is a great achievement.