Entertainment

There is finally a nice romcom in the cinema

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Sometimes it seems like a good romcom is an endangered species. All the favorites are from years and years ago. While You Were Sleeping comes from 1995 and The Holiday? That one is from 2006. Of course, movies are still being released, but whether they are really good is the question. It's usually a Hallmark story here or a reboot there. Yeah, that's not really it. But it seems like the movie gods have blessed us just before the end of 2025: there's an original, delightful romcom in theaters aka Eterniteit. Who's in it? Oh, none other than Elizabeth Olsen, the handsome boyfriend of Dua Lipa, Callum Harper, and Miles Teller (yes, the one from Top Gun: Maverick). So grab that popcorn and run straight to the nearest Pathé tomorrow: you want to see this.

What is Eternity about?

Actually, the premise is very simple: with whom do you want to spend the rest of eternity? Larry (Miles Teller) and Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) die shortly after a 65-year marriage. Once in the afterlife, this is not really the Valhalla they expected. There is no heaven where you can eat ice cream all the time without gaining weight or a hell where people continuously chew gum loudly. It's more like a kind of market where you choose a vacation destination. Only... this is not a vacation, it's your ‘eternity’. So the place where and the person with whom you will spend the afterlife. Once you make the choice of which world you will go to, you can never go back. That's not a difficult choice at all, right? You even have ‘afterlife coordinators’ who help you make your choice.

Larry and Joan find each other quite quickly. Before they can even think about what step to take, suddenly an old acquaintance stands in front of them: Joan's first love, Luke (Callum Turner). He died young in the Korean War and has waited 67 years for Joan. This changes everything for Joan. With whom does she want to spend the rest of her ‘life’? In the film, we follow Joan as she goes through different dates and worlds and ultimately has to make her choice.

Finally, an original film from Hollywood

Yes, as I mentioned earlier: it's been quite a while since an original, good romcom has come to theaters. Of course, there are a few exceptions, but we always return to the same old classics. Why is that? Because nowadays movies sometimes seem more like quick cash grabs than good storytelling. Remakes and reboots are popping up everywhere all of a sudden. Don't filmmakers have a creative brain anymore? Freaky Friday was very good, but honestly? Those ‘I've seen this story four times already’ movies sometimes make me sick. That's why I was so happy when the trailer for Eterniteit was released. Finally, we have an original story. Not again The Notebook or an adaptation of a good book, but just a well-written romcom. With actors who can really act and a love triangle where the main character has chemistry with both other men. The concept of this film is of course amazing; the afterlife is something you can do so much with. There are so many places you can go. So many adventures to experience. That's something very fun to play with as a director and set designer. The world of Eterniteit is therefore very lively and futuristically designed. In the market that looks like a factory of dreams, you see advertising boards and stalls with smiling sellers who want to sell you the perfect picture.

Oh, and it's the kind of film that really makes you think. With whom do you want to spend the afterlife? Are you actually content with what you have? Or do you maybe want to fight for something you thought wouldn't work? That philosophical piece piques your curiosity and that's exactly what a good film should do.

So. Who are you? Team Larry or team Luke? I actually don't know yet, but I do know that I'm looking forward to seeing Miles Teller and Mr. Dua Lipa (Callum Harper) from their most romantic side. So you'll find me in the theater tomorrow. And well: this romcom is already nominated for Best Comedy at the Critics Choice Awards, so you know it's good.