Actress Elizabeth Olsen has expressed a preference for narrative structures that reflect lived experience, noting a distance from the current landscape of romantic comedies. This personal alignment informed her recent collaboration with A24 on the fantasy romance film, Eternity. Olsen, aged 36, suggested that the thematic distance in many contemporary romantic comedies does not mirror her understanding of relationships, underscoring her attraction to projects with deeper, more enduring emotional foundations.
Eternity premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September 2025, drawing attention for its ambitious exploration of eternal commitment and memory. The film’s central premise provided Olsen with a role allowing for the portrayal of extensive emotional history, a quality she finds more engaging than lighter material. In the film, Olsen portrays Joan Cutler, a character who, despite being chronologically 90 years old, physically manifests as a woman in her thirties within a stylized afterlife setting. This device enables the exploration of a lifetime of feeling, echoing the narrative depth found in classic cinema romances.
The wide theatrical release for Eternity was scheduled for November 26, 2025, positioning it as a significant late-year offering from the independent studio A24. Within the narrative, Joan Cutler faces a critical, time-bound decision: selecting between her husband, Larry, portrayed by Miles Teller, and her first love, Luke, played by Callum Turner, who died prematurely. Director David Freyne frames this choice as a philosophical debate between the tangible reality of 'lived love' and the idealized construct of 'imagined perfection,' a dichotomy central to the film’s critical discussion following its festival debut.
A24, founded in 2012, has cultivated a reputation for backing auteur-driven projects that challenge conventional genre boundaries, aligning with the high-concept romance of Eternity. The studio is known for distinctive visual styles and complex narratives, often attracting established talent seeking creative freedom outside major studio systems. The film's structure, revolving around a one-week window for a decision of eternal consequence, is a hallmark of high-stakes, character-driven drama. The film's reception at TIFF suggested a positive response to this blend of high-concept fantasy and grounded emotional conflict, setting the stage for its late November theatrical run.
Olsen's commentary on modern rom-coms highlights a broader industry trend where audiences and creators seek narratives addressing the complexities of long-term connection rather than purely initial attraction. The structure of Eternity, which allows Olsen to access the memories of a 90-year-old life while performing as a younger version, offers a unique vehicle for this exploration. The creative team aims to deliver a piece that resonates on a more profound level than typical mainstream romantic comedies.
