Posted in: A24, Movies | Tagged: a24, David Freyne, eternity

Eternity Director Shares His Thoughts on the Film's Ending

Eternity director David Freyne explains why Joan and Larry’s ending is still a “happily ever after,” even with lifelong what-ifs.

To be clear: if you're looking to avoid any spoilers about the ending for Eternity, now's the time to click elsewhere. If you stuck around, let's get into it. The A24 fantasy romcom Eternity follows Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) in an afterlife waystation where she must choose where, and with whom, to spend eternity. After sampling different "forevers" with her first husband, Luke (Callum Turner), and her longtime spouse, Larry (Miles Teller), she ultimately picks Larry and a new version of their everyday life together. And ultimately, Eternity ends with its leads, Joan and Larry, quite literally walking off into the sunset. However, the film's director, David Freyne, is not pretending that it solves everything forever.

Speaking with Screen Rant about whether that final choice really counts as a happily ever after, Freyne leaned into the messiness behind the ideal.

Eternity Director Delves into the Film's Classic Rom-Com Conclusion

"I mean, that's the thing. Romcoms always end with a happily ever after, and if you continue that, they'll get into trouble again. That's the cycle of life," he tells the outlet. "I think they'll be doing dishes in another 20 years' time and she'll be like, 'I should have stayed Luke.' That's just the nature of life. We're always plagued by what ifs, but yeah, it is a happy ever after. We walk into the sunset, and that's what you want. I hope the ending is never expected, but I do hope it feels right. She chose the love that represents who she is, now, and that is Larry."

According to most who enjoyed the film's concept, that tension between fantasy and practicality runs through the whole story. For example, Eternity imagines the afterlife as the Junction, a pastel hotel where "afterlife coordinators" pitch custom-made eternities that range from mountain retreats to neon discos. As Joan tries on different futures, the story keeps circling the question of whether romance is about big first loves or the partner who saw you through decades of ordinary days. As of now, critics have already compared the movie to classic screwball comedies and to the well-received series The Good Place, noting how it uses a light tone to poke at heavy questions about regret, compromise, and the lives people do not choose.

Freyne's answer to the "are they really happy" question fits that approach. Sure, Joan and Larry get a romantic ending, but the director is very clear that their eternity will still include extensive doubts, chores, and different versions of what-ifs.

Eternity is now in theaters courtesy of A24.

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