Eternity Review: Elizabeth Olsen and Miles Teller Explore Imperfect Love

Director David Freyne’s romantic fantasy Eternity offers a reflective take on love, commitment, and emotional endurance. Starring Elizabeth Olsen and Miles Teller, the film moves beyond traditional romance tropes to explore how long-term relationships evolve through hardship, forgiveness, and everyday resilience.

Streaming on Apple TV+, the film presents a thoughtful narrative that questions idealised notions of soulmate love and instead examines what it means to choose someone repeatedly across a lifetime.

A Story About Love That Endures Time

The film follows Joan, played by Elizabeth Olsen, who arrives in a serene limbo after death and is given seven days to decide whom she will spend eternity with. She must choose between two defining loves: Luke (Callum Turner), her first husband lost in war, and Larry (Miles Teller), the partner with whom she shared decades of marriage.

Luke represents youthful passion — a love preserved in memory and untouched by time. Larry represents lived love — built through parenthood, illness, arguments, forgiveness, and quiet companionship.

Rather than framing the choice as right or wrong, the film presents both relationships as valid but fundamentally different expressions of love.

Love Beyond Romance Ideals

Eternity challenges glossy portrayals of romance by acknowledging the unglamorous reality of long-term commitment. It portrays love as something sustained through small acts: late-night apologies, shared grief, unspoken sacrifices, and moments of reconciliation.

The film suggests that enduring relationships are forged not in dramatic gestures but in everyday resilience and emotional repair.

Elizabeth Olsen’s Subtle and Powerful Performance

Elizabeth Olsen delivers a restrained and emotionally layered performance, capturing Joan’s internal conflict through subtle expressions and pauses rather than dramatic monologues. Her portrayal reflects guilt, longing, strength, and unresolved memory — making the character deeply relatable.

A pivotal line — “I chose you every morning, even when it hurt” — encapsulates the film’s central emotional truth.

Miles Teller and Callum Turner Portray Contrasting Loves

Miles Teller brings depth and vulnerability to Larry, portraying the quiet endurance of long-term partnership. His performance emphasises emotional persistence rather than dramatic intensity.

Callum Turner’s Luke embodies romantic passion frozen in time, yet the character retains human insecurity, preventing him from becoming an idealised fantasy.

Together, their performances create emotional tension rooted in authenticity rather than melodrama.

Direction and Atmosphere

David Freyne’s direction emphasises emotional nuance over spectacle. The afterlife setting — featuring soft landscapes and timeless interiors — enhances the reflective tone without overshadowing the narrative.

The pacing mirrors the film’s themes, allowing emotional depth to unfold gradually.

A Romance for Modern Audiences

In an era shaped by fleeting connections and curated digital intimacy, Eternity offers a contemplative perspective on commitment and emotional endurance.

Different generations may interpret its themes uniquely:

• Older viewers may recognise vows sustained through decades.

• Millennials may relate to the tension between passion and stability.

• Gen Z audiences may find reassurance in valuing emotional depth over fleeting sparks.

A Quiet Reflection on Imperfect Love

Rather than promising perfect romance, Eternity honours the courage required to sustain love through imperfection. It portrays forever not as fantasy, but as a daily choice shaped by empathy, patience, and shared history.

The film leaves viewers reflecting on relationships that endured, relationships that ended, and the emotional courage required to love imperfectly — yet wholeheartedly.