The second trailer for David Freyne’s Eternity (A24) doesn’t just sell a high‑concept afterlife rom‑com — it teases a film that wants to make you laugh, ache, and maybe question the very idea of forever. Premiered at TIFF 2025 to warm reviews, the film is now gearing up for its theatrical release on November 26, 2025, and this new look is sharper, funnier, and more emotionally direct than the first.
A Premise That’s Both Adorable and Cruel
The setup is deceptively simple: in the afterlife, souls have one week to decide where to spend eternity. Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) must choose between Larry (Miles Teller), the man she built a life with, and her first love (Callum Turner), who died young and has been waiting decades for her. It’s a premise that sounds like a quirky sitcom pitch — until you realize the emotional stakes are cosmic.
What the Trailer Shows
This second trailer leans into tonal duality.
- Comedy beats: John Early and Da’Vine Joy Randolph pop in with levity, reminding us this isn’t just a dirge in pastel lighting.
- Romantic ache: Olsen’s Joan is caught between two timelines of love, and the trailer frames her indecision as both tender and devastating.
- Visual palette: Freyne shoots the afterlife like a liminal hotel lobby — warm, symmetrical, but uncanny in its stillness.
It’s a better trailer than the first because it trusts the audience to hold contradictions: funny and sad, whimsical and tragic.
Festival Buzz and Early Reactions
At TIFF, critics called Eternity “tender, funny, and beautifully bittersweet.” That’s not just blurb‑speak; it’s a signal that Freyne has found a tonal balance that’s harder than it looks. Romantic comedies about death often collapse under sentimentality. This one, at least from the trailer, seems to dance on the knife’s edge.
The Cast as Emotional Anchors
- Elizabeth Olsen: The trailer makes clear this is her film. She plays Joan with a mix of fragility and steel, a woman who has lived a full life and still feels unfinished.
- Miles Teller: As Larry, he grounds the story in the weight of shared history.
- Callum Turner: His presence is spectral but magnetic — the embodiment of “what if.”
- Da’Vine Joy Randolph: Fresh off her Oscar win, she injects charm and comic timing that keeps the film from drowning in melancholy.
Why This Trailer Works
Because it doesn’t overexplain. It gives us the rules of the afterlife, then lets the characters carry the weight. The humor feels organic, the sentiment earned. And in a year where A24 is juggling prestige horror and awards‑bait dramas, Eternity looks like their bid for a holiday release that can actually make audiences feel good while still breaking their hearts.
What You Should Know Before Watching Eternity
- Festival pedigree: Premiered at TIFF 2025 to positive reviews.
- Cast chemistry: Olsen, Teller, and Turner form a triangle that feels lived‑in, not schematic.
- Tone balance: Trailer #2 shows more comedy without losing the bittersweet edge.
- Release date: In theaters November 26, 2025, via A24.
FAQ
Is Eternity just another quirky afterlife rom‑com?
Not quite. The trailer suggests it’s less about gimmick and more about emotional truth — the comedy is there to make the heartbreak sharper.
How does this compare to David Freyne’s past work?
Like Dating Amber, it blends humor with melancholy, but here the scale is bigger and the stakes eternal.
Why does the second trailer feel stronger than the first?
Because it leans into tonal contrast — showing us the sweetness and the absurdity side by side, instead of playing it safe.
