"That would hurt a whole lot": Fans share their take on Elizabeth Olsen's afterlife dilemma in the upcoming Eternity movie

Elizabeth Olsen holds hands with Callum Turner while Miles Teller looks on in a still from A24’s Eternity, depicting the central love triangle.
Elizabeth Olsen’s Joan is caught between Miles Teller and Callum Turner in Eternity, where she must make a one-week decision that defines her afterlife. (Image via A24)

The upcoming Eternity movie has sparked a wave of fan reactions online after A24 released the official trailer on July 29. The romantic dramedy stars Elizabeth Olsen as a woman who dies and finds herself forced to choose just one of her two husbands, played by Miles Teller and Callum Turner, to spend the afterlife with. The concept behind Eternity has caught the attention of Reddit users, many of whom are grappling with the emotional and ethical questions the film poses.

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The trailer has led fans to imagine themselves in similar scenarios, with one Redditor summing up the emotional weight with the quote:

“That would hurt a whole lot.”

The discussion thread on r/movies quickly filled with reactions ranging from deeply personal anecdotes to philosophical takes on love, choice, and the nature of forever.

While some debated the logic of the film’s premise, others focused on the potential emotional consequences of such a decision. With comparisons drawn to The Good Place and Titanic, the film appears to be hitting a nerve with viewers even before its release. Here's how fans are reacting to the unusual afterlife setup at the center of Eternity.

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“Tbf, the first husband died. In war. And then she moved on with a second one. I think that kinda messes things up... Maybe I've not been in real love, but, yeah, I agree 50 years of happy marriage, especially if they had kids and all, makes it like an easy choice... The time period might explain the situation (people used to just settle with a stable choice than marry purely out of love.)” — u/mynameis
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“As a widower struggling to start dating again, this looks like the scariest movie of all time." — u/Mr_Caterpillar
“I am way overthinking this but: having to choose eternity but only getting one afterlife sounds like hell. Like, Eternity isn't a year. It's not a hundred, not a thousand, it's FOREVER. Imagine you choose the party dimension and then having to party a trillion years! I much prefer the Good Place solution... Why not visitation? Or why can't she just copy herself?” — u/ReasonablyBadass
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The next set of comments delve deeper into the complexity of the film's premise. One Redditor questions the eternal consequences of making a single irreversible choice in the afterlife, wondering whether the premise risks becoming more disturbing than romantic.

Another draws a connection to Titanic, asking why popular media often favors passionate love over long-term commitment in afterlife narratives. A third user simply wonders about the logistics, what happens to the partner who isn’t chosen?

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“I bet someone thought this plot up after watching the end of Titanic and wondering why Rose seemed to be reunited with Jack in the afterlife and not her husband of many years/father of her children.” — u/MissingLink101
“Wait. So she chooses one and the other guy what? He's just alone for eternity? Also the dead husband's been waiting around for her to show up for the whole time he's been dead? Is everyone else there just gonna be alone? I have so many questions” — u/twitchyeye84
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“I won't be surprised if this will give me a huge existential crisis like The Good Place did, while also making me laugh. I'm surprised it took this long to make a movie about the idea of people being split between which partner to choose to spend the afterlife with. Always thought that was a no-brainer idea for a romantic dramedy show/series.” — u/Upbeat_Tension_8077
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The trailer’s central dilemma has left many viewers both amused and unsettled, raising questions about what love means when it stretches beyond life. With its mix of surreal worldbuilding and personal stakes, Eternity has already begun sparking existential debates before its release.

Also Read: Together 2025 Ending Explained: Did Love Win, Or Did They Lose Themselves?


Trailer explores Eternity's one-week decision to choose a soulmate

Joan and Larry share a peaceful moment in the afterlife in Eternity, one of many surreal destinations where love and memory collide. (Image via A24)
Joan and Larry share a peaceful moment in the afterlife in Eternity, one of many surreal destinations where love and memory collide. (Image via A24)

The trailer for Eternity introduces viewers to Joan (Elizabeth Olsen), who finds herself in the afterlife, specifically, a waystation known as “the Junction.” Here, she must make a life-altering decision: choose where she will spend eternity and with whom. The twist? She has only one week to choose between Larry (Miles Teller), the man she shared a lifetime and family with, and Luke (Callum Turner), her first love who died young and has waited decades for her arrival.

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Both men passionately try to win her back, leading to a tug-of-war that unfolds in an afterlife filled with surreal, whimsical settings. The trailer features scenes of spirited competition as Joan’s two husbands try to make their case, including lines like Larry saying,

“I don’t care where we end up, just as long as we’re together,”

and Luke confessing that waiting for Joan “felt like nothing” when compared to an eternity with her. These moments unfold against a backdrop of bizarre eternal destinations such as Smoker’s World and Studio 54 World, each pitched by enthusiastic spokespeople. Coordinators, played by John Early and Da’Vine Joy Randolph, guide Joan through her weeklong decision-making process, adding comedic flair.

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Directed by David Freyne and co-written with Pat Cunnane, whose script first appeared on the 2022 Black List, Eternity is produced by Tim White and Trevor White under Star Thrower Entertainment. It will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September before arriving in theaters this November. Olsen previously told Extra on February 23, 2025 that the film is

“a callback to Billy Wilder films” and “a special romantic comedy.”

The trailer is now available online. Viewers can watch it to get a first glimpse into this imaginative take on love, memory, and eternity.

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Edited by Urvashi Vijay More
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