The romantic comedy has been on a desperate search for a rebrand. Strategies have varied: from making rom-coms more morbid, to more hopeful, to overly dramatic. Hollywood’s newest rom-com, “Eternity,” does not employ any of these strategies. Instead, it pays homage to the clichés of past rom-coms — and does so flawlessly.
Directed by David Freyne, “Eternity” takes place in the afterlife and centers around Joan (Elizabeth Olsen). After her death, Joan is reunited with her husband of 65 years, Larry (Miles Teller), and her first husband, Luke (Callum Turner), who waited 67 years for her after his death. The three quickly become embroiled in a love triangle, forcing Joan to face her feelings and choose which husband she wants to spend eternity with.
What immediately makes the film gripping is its setting. The afterlife is filled with hundreds of differently themed eternities, ranging from Parisland to Man-Free Eternity (which was at full capacity). Part of the agreement Joan strikes with the afterlife coordinators is a date with each of her husbands in any chosen eternity. Through these dates, the audience is able to explore certain eternities more deeply. The intricate detail and vibrant colors of the beach and forest eternities were beautiful to see onscreen and made me reflect on what my ideal eternity would look like.
Further adding to “Eternity” were the characters. In many rom-coms, even when a love triangle is present, it feels as if the audience is primed to recognize that there is one true choice for the central love interest, something that has frequently annoyed me when watching movies of this genre. “Eternity” doesn’t feel like that at all.
Each of the characters is fully fleshed out, and for once, I enjoyed both love interests equally. Larry is the perfect combination of goofy and heartwarming, while Luke is utterly swoon-worthy. Despite their differences, they both seem like they could be the perfect match for Joan — and I would have been fine with whichever one she chose.
“Eternity” also brings back the much-needed equilibrium between the witty humor and real-life issues that rom-coms are often lauded for. As of late, rom-coms have leaned either too serious or too funny, both situations that negatively impact the romance. “Eternity” provides comedic relief when needed, but also leaves space for the characters to express their worries or disappointments.
To support Joan throughout her journey are two afterlife coordinators, Anna (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) and Ryan (John Early). The pair make numerous jokes in the movie, spurring much laughter from the audience, but they also dish out equal amounts of sage advice. It is refreshing to see a tribute being paid to the standard format of rom-coms that was more stable when switching between humor and sincerity, as opposed to the more dramatic shifts in tone found in modern rom-coms now.
As someone who is very particular about rom-coms, “Eternity” was just the flick I had been looking for. It kept me engaged and on my toes, with a love triangle where I was genuinely rooting for every person. “Eternity” is reminiscent of the wonderful and cheesy rom-coms from the 1990s and 2000s, and I hope future rom-coms will follow suit.
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