From the opening scene, Eternity captured me completely - not just as a rom-com or fantasy, but as a heartfelt meditation on love, loss, memory, and what truly defines "forever." Director David Freyne has crafted something rare: a film that feels both grand in its premise and deeply intimate in its emotional beats.
The setup is beautiful: after death, everyone has a week in a mesmerizing "Junction" to decide where they'll spend eternity. Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) finds herself between two loves - her first husband Luke (Callum Turner), who she barely lived a life with because of war, and Larry (Miles Teller), the man she grew old with and built her life around.
What makes this movie exceptional are its performances. Olsen is luminous, conveying regret, affection, longing and the weight of a life well-lived yet full of unspoken "what ifs." Teller's Larry is warm, grounded, vulnerable; Turner's Luke is wistful, idealized, yet heartbreakingly real. The supporting cast - especially Da'Vine Joy Randolph and John Early as the afterlife coordinators - provide levity without undercutting the emotional stakes.
Visually and tonally, Eternity strikes a sublime balance. The afterlife is painted with whimsical, imaginative touches - it's not bleak, not pretentious, but magical and precise. The production design, the pacing, the color palettes - all serve the story, mirroring the moods of nostalgia, hope, and sorrow. The soundtrack underscores emotion without becoming manipulative.
If there is anything minor to quibble with, it's that in parts the film leans heavily into its joke-beats, which slightly undercuts what could be even more poignant, especially in its final act. But honestly, those moments are few, and they never diminish the movie's overall resonance.
What makes Eternity soar to a 10/10 for me is that it asks a question we all think about: what would you choose, between what was, and what might have been? It doesn't answer it easily. It doesn't try to trick you. It trusts its characters - and its audience - to feel.
If you love stories that linger in your heart, that make you both laugh and cry, that explore love in all its complicated beauty - Eternity is not just worth your time, it's essential.
