‘Eternity’ Delivers a Powerful, Heart-Crushing Meditation on Love Beyond Life
A24’s Eternity is a story about the journey rather than the destination. The question of whether an afterlife exists and what it consists of has been a topic of debate since the beginning of time. Since the advent of film, filmmakers have endeavored to explore this concept. Eternity presents an afterlife where the newly deceased must choose a destination to spend their eternity. Once they’ve made their choice, there’s no changing it. As if that decision wasn’t daunting enough, Joan (Elizabeth Olsen, Avengers: Endgame) is forced to choose not only where to spend her afterlife but who to spend it with.
Eternity features a stellar cast
Miles Teller (Top Gun: Maverick, Only the Brave) plays Larry, Joan’s husband of sixty years. He’s the man she spent her life with, made a family with, and grew old with. Callum Turner (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald) plays Luke, Joan’s first love and the man she lost before their lives together could even begin. The film focuses on one woman, two loves, and an impossible choice.
Twenty years ago, I shared the stage with a young, talented actor named Miles Teller. For years, we were members of the drama troupe at our small, central Florida high school. Even as a teenager, we all recognized his talent. He had (and still has) a knack for commanding the attention of an entire audience.
Over the course of the last decade, we’ve seen Teller master the art of quick wit and banter. He’s been the wisecracking, fast-talking, charisma-fueled lead, and he brings much of that energy to the role of Larry, but in a way we’ve never seen from him before. Despite looking like Miles Teller, Larry was an old man when he died.
It’s explained that upon death, your physical appearance reverts to the time you were the most happy in your life. It’s a seemingly simple solution allowing a filmmaker to cast young, hot actors rather than 80-year-olds in their fantasy romance, but it’s well utilized within the story. Joan and Larry bicker like an old married couple, and Larry’s mannerisms and way of speaking depict his age even if his appearance doesn’t. The same goes for Joan.
Their onscreen dynamic is magnetic. At times, they speak to each other as if they don’t even like one another, but it’s the type of communication that comes with decades of a shared life, hiding a depth of unspeakable love that complacency has made them forget.
An unexpected afterlife
If the depiction of the afterlife isn’t interesting or compelling, the story simply wouldn’t work. Admittedly, there’s nothing new or groundbreaking about this version of life after death. At times, it feels very reminiscent of Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice. It’s bureaucratic and largely resembles the process of meeting with a travel agent in the 1960s.
Although they’re having enough fun with the concept to keep it interesting, the driving focus of the story and what makes it so compelling is the emotionally charged love triangle at its center. Fears of missed opportunities and wondering what might have been fuel the fire of Joan’s difficult choice. The easy answer would be to choose Larry unquestionably, but the burning passion that Joan and Luke shared in their youth and a life torn away too soon make for a compelling argument.
Regret and acceptance are the conflicting themes of the story. A life lived is one filled with regret, and acceptance can be a difficult hurdle for anyone. Life is fleeting, and the decisions we make will ripple throughout our existence. The weight of Joan’s choice is unbearably heavy. Our hearts ache for Luke, who spent sixty years waiting for the love of his life, and our hearts ache for Larry, who feels insufficient to give Joan what she needs in comparison to the seemingly perfect Luke.
Final thoughts on A24’s Eternity
Eternity is a simplistic story elevated by a fantastic cast and an effective emotional arc. I teared up on more than one occasion and fought back tears on a few more. Da’Vine Joy Randolph, fresh off her Oscar win for The Holdovers, brings a lighthearted comedic touch, serving as the guide through the afterlife for both Larry and the audience. This interpretation of the afterlife doesn’t necessarily make sense, but it doesn’t have to. It’s a concept so shrouded in mystery that any interpretation is valid as long as it serves the story.
The performances and the relationships do the heavy lifting. The onscreen chemistry, especially between Miles Teller and Elizabeth Olsen, is electric, and although I was fairly certain how the story would end, the journey to get there was filled with emotion, laughter, and heart.
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