Elizabeth Olsen in EternityA24 / Courtesy Everett Collection
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A24’s new fantasy rom-com Eternity could leave viewers with a lot of questions, and the film’s director has hinted that he could eventually provide some answers.
In an interview with ScreenRant's Liam Crowley for Eternity, David Freyne discussed a certain up-in-the-air quality about some of the movie’s developments, opening the door for further elaboration in Eternity 2.
“You don't need to give an explanation for everything,” Freyne said when asked about some bits of dialog that hint at unexplored aspects of Eternity’s characters and world. “But there is an explanation for everything,” the director assured.
Eternity stars Elizabeth Olsen as a recently-deceased woman named Joan who has passed to the after-life where she’s reunited with her even-more-recently deceased partner Barry (Miles Teller), and now must choose whether to spend all eternity with him, or with her long-dead ex-husband Luke (Callum Turner), who has been waiting for years to see Joan again.
The movie takes place in a celestial way-station where the dead are paired up with after-life coordinators who help them adjust to their new reality, and decide how they’d like to spend the rest of time. It’s a premise ripe with possibilities for further storytelling, as Freyne teased.
“It's a crazy, weird world that I think if you're in there like Luke is, for as long as he is, it does just get weirder and weirder over time and there's a lot to explore there,” the director told ScreenRant.
Barry’s after-life coordinator, Anna, is played by Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Freyne explained why the character’s backstory is deliberately kept vague, even though he discussed Anna’s past with the actor.
“I think the first line is Anna referencing herself in many ways and the reason she stayed, and I think myself and Da'Vine who's extraordinary, we talked a lot about her backstory and not to include it in the film, but that it would inform her character,” he said, addressing a line of dialog that hints at the bigger story behind Anna’s experiences.
“She didn't want big exposition,” Freyne said of Randolph. “She just wanted to understand where Anna was when she was alive, why she chose to stay here, why other people might choose to stay here.”
This happens to jibe with Freyne’s overall philosophy when it comes to explaining things in movies. “I think that was really lovely and important, and I love unanswered questions in films,” the director said.
ScreenRant’s Eternity review did question whether the film leaves too many things up in the air, while remaining mildly favorable overall:
The cast has fantastic chemistry together and, though the story could’ve explored its point further, Eternity is a largely entertaining rom-com that works best when it leans on the strengths of its cast rather than its narrative.
A24’s fantasy rom-com debuted with a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score and has since settled at 79%, indicating generally favorable reviews. Eternity is in theaters now.
6/10
Eternity
10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed PG-13 Romance Comedy Release Date November 26, 2025 Runtime 112 minutes Director David Freyne Writers David Freyne, Pat Cunnane Producers Elizabeth Olsen, Michael Williams, Miles Teller, Tim WhiteCast
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Elizabeth Olsen
Joan
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Miles Teller
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Do you think it's better for a movie to leave some questions unanswered or to explain everything? Why?
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6 minutes ago
Some viewers may prefer a movie that ties up all loose ends and explains every detail, while others enjoy pondering the unanswered questions and imagining possibilities. Leaving some mystery can make a film feel more thought-provoking and open to interpretation. However, too many unanswered questions could leave audiences feeling unsatisfied or confused.
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