A24's "Eternity" is a Bittersweet Symphony of Emotion

For the past decade, A24 has made a name for itself as a studio that takes risks, celebrates creativity, and produces some of the best original scripts out there. This past year has done nothing to disprove that reputation, with great films like Materialists, Bring Her Back, Friendship, and many more hitting theaters. Among this slate was the TIFF and Chicago Film Festival darling, David Freyne's Eternity, a fantasy romcom about the afterlife, sure to make you cry from both laughter and heartbreak. A film that despite its fantastical plot is one of the most deeply human releases of the year.

Eternity takes place entirely in the afterlife, where recently deceased Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) has to decide whether to spend eternity with Larry (Miles Teller), her husband of 65 years or her Luke (Callum Turner), her first love who died young. It's an impossible decision to make, and it doesn't end with a straight forward answer. The story has various twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat until you are slumped down in it with tears blurring your vision. The film also employs the talents of Da'Vine Joy Randolph, John Early, Olga Merediz, and Betty Buckley.

Eternity is the third feature from Irish writer/director, David Freyne, and is by-far his most ambitious project to date. Details on the film's budget are scarce but special props are owed to the art department who were able to create an afterlife audiences have never seen before. Visually, this film has so much production value, every set piece is unique, the color palette is engaging, and the world-building is expansive yet easy to comprehend. Zazu Myers' production design is truly inspired and probably my biggest takeaway from the whole project. It's amazing how a film can turn out when a studio dedicates the right amount of time, money, and resources to bringing a script to life.

While visually beautiful, the true marvel of Eternity lies in the script. It's a film that will pull on your heartstrings while also giving audiences room to breathe and laugh. A lot of this is owed to the performances of the three lead actors. Miles Teller especially shines as Larry, this might just be a career highlight for him. For a film with a subject matter as heavy as death, Eternity doesn't take itself too seriously. For all the tear-worthy moments, David Freyne dedicates plenty of time to exploring the absurdity of life and death, giving audiences room to breathe while Joan faces her impossible dilemma. As a viewer, for a brief moment, death felt a lot less terrifying

Despite the fairly straightforward plot, Eternity isn't really a film about life or even death, it's a film about love. While Joan struggles with whether to spend eternity with Luke or Larry, she reflects on what love actually is, and she comes to the conclusion that it's a lot more complicated than it is in fairytales. Love isn't a moment, it's a collect of millions of moments, and it's not just buying someone flowers or putting a ring on their hand, it's being there for them at their highest, their lowest, and the 99% of moments in between.

While this is a film with very high stakes, there is a palpable sense of hope and humanity throughout. Funnily enough, it's the perfect movie for your next date night, as entertaining as it is emotionally resonant and thought-provoking.