Feb. 1, 2026
Afterlife Affairs: The Cosmic Love Triangle of 'Eternity'
In this episode of *Movies First*, Chris and Jessica embark on a thought-provoking journey through the afterlife with the new film *Eternity*. This unique romantic comedy presents a bureaucratic twist on the age-old question of eternal love, placing protagonist Joan, played by Elizabeth Olsen, in an impossible position between her first husband, Luke, who died young in the Korean War, and Larry, her partner of 65 years. With only a week to decide before facing a celestial basement, the time pressure adds an intriguing layer to the story.
Listeners will be captivated as Chris and Jessica unpack the film's clever structure, featuring coordinators portrayed by Divine Joy Randolph and John Early, who act as competing advocates in this cosmic custody battle for Joan's soul. They delve into how the film balances heavy themes of love and mortality with light-hearted humor, exemplified in scenes like the bickering couple heading to a gender reveal party.
The discussion also highlights the film's exploration of different kinds of love, contrasting the fleeting perfection of first love with the complexities of a long-term relationship. The performances of Miles Teller and Callum Turner as young Larry and Luke, respectively, are noted for making both relationships feel equally valid yet distinct.
With a score of 7.5 out of 10, this episode invites listeners to reflect on the meaningful questions surrounding love and choice, making *Eternity* a film that resonates universally, even amid its fantastical premise. Join Chris and Jessica as they explore how this engaging narrative manages to entertain while provoking deeper thoughts about life and the afterlife.
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To access the Movies First reviews archive visit our website at www.bitesz.com/podcast/movies-first
To access the Movies First reviews archive visit our website at www.bitesz.com/podcast/movies-first
This episode includes AI-generated content.
WEBVTT
0
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.160
Chris: What if the afterlife had a bureaucracy
1
00:00:02.320 --> 00:00:04.320
complete with paperwork, deadlines and office
2
00:00:04.320 --> 00:00:07.240
politics? That's exactly what the new movie,
3
00:00:07.240 --> 00:00:09.800
Eternity, explores. Turning the age old
4
00:00:09.800 --> 00:00:12.200
question of eternal love into something
5
00:00:12.200 --> 00:00:14.080
surprisingly fresh and complex.
6
00:00:14.880 --> 00:00:17.320
Jessica: The premise really does grab you. Uh, it's
7
00:00:17.320 --> 00:00:19.400
like the Good Place meets Ghost, but with
8
00:00:19.400 --> 00:00:21.520
this fascinating twist about having to choose
9
00:00:21.520 --> 00:00:22.880
between two great loves.
10
00:00:23.520 --> 00:00:25.320
Chris: You know what's really compelling about the
11
00:00:25.320 --> 00:00:27.620
setup? They've given Joan,
12
00:00:28.020 --> 00:00:30.580
played brilliantly by Elizabeth Olsen,
13
00:00:30.820 --> 00:00:32.980
this impossible choice between her first
14
00:00:32.980 --> 00:00:35.340
husband, Luke, who died young in the Korean
15
00:00:35.340 --> 00:00:38.100
War, and Larry, who she spent
16
00:00:38.100 --> 00:00:40.980
65 years with. And they only have a
17
00:00:40.980 --> 00:00:43.340
week to decide before being sent to some kind
18
00:00:43.340 --> 00:00:44.980
of celestial basement.
19
00:00:46.180 --> 00:00:49.060
Jessica: Hmm. That time pressure element really adds
20
00:00:49.060 --> 00:00:51.540
something special to the story. It forces
21
00:00:51.540 --> 00:00:53.420
them to confront these big questions about
22
00:00:53.420 --> 00:00:55.140
love and mortality head on.
23
00:00:56.180 --> 00:00:57.580
Chris: Well, what makes it even more interesting is
24
00:00:57.580 --> 00:01:00.020
how they've structured the afterlife itself.
25
00:01:00.260 --> 00:01:02.340
You've got these coordinators, Divine Joy
26
00:01:02.340 --> 00:01:04.860
Randolph and John early, essentially acting
27
00:01:04.860 --> 00:01:07.540
as competing lawyers for each husband. It's
28
00:01:07.540 --> 00:01:09.740
like a cosmic custody battle for Joan's
29
00:01:09.740 --> 00:01:10.740
eternal soul.
30
00:01:11.459 --> 00:01:13.260
Jessica: The way they've balanced the tone must be
31
00:01:13.260 --> 00:01:15.140
challenging, though. How do you make
32
00:01:15.140 --> 00:01:16.980
something this heavy feel light enough for a
33
00:01:16.980 --> 00:01:17.940
romantic comedy?
34
00:01:18.580 --> 00:01:20.740
Chris: That's exactly what makes this film special.
35
00:01:21.410 --> 00:01:23.250
They manage to find this sweet spot between
36
00:01:23.570 --> 00:01:26.290
philosophical depth and genuine humor.
37
00:01:26.770 --> 00:01:29.450
Like that opening scene where elderly Joan
38
00:01:29.450 --> 00:01:31.690
and Larry are bickering on their way to a
39
00:01:31.690 --> 00:01:34.490
gender reveal party. It immediately grounds
40
00:01:34.490 --> 00:01:35.650
everything in reality.
41
00:01:36.530 --> 00:01:39.450
Jessica: Oh, and speaking of reality, I love how
42
00:01:39.450 --> 00:01:41.570
they've made the afterlife feel both magical
43
00:01:41.570 --> 00:01:44.490
and mundane at the same time. You can choose
44
00:01:44.490 --> 00:01:46.450
to spend eternity in the mountains or by the
45
00:01:46.450 --> 00:01:48.640
beach, but first you have to fill out the
46
00:01:48.640 --> 00:01:49.560
proper forms.
47
00:01:50.120 --> 00:01:53.080
Chris: Right. And that bureaucratic element actually
48
00:01:53.080 --> 00:01:55.880
serves the story in a fascinating way.
49
00:01:56.360 --> 00:01:58.360
It's like they're suggesting that even in
50
00:01:58.360 --> 00:02:00.920
paradise, we can't escape these very human
51
00:02:00.920 --> 00:02:03.720
systems we've created. But what really gets
52
00:02:03.720 --> 00:02:05.880
me is how they're exploring different kinds
53
00:02:05.880 --> 00:02:06.280
of love.
54
00:02:07.080 --> 00:02:09.560
Jessica: Well, that's true. You've got this perfect
55
00:02:09.560 --> 00:02:11.680
but brief first love with Luke versus this
56
00:02:11.680 --> 00:02:13.720
long, complex relationship with Larry.
57
00:02:14.450 --> 00:02:16.650
It's not just about who she loves more, but
58
00:02:16.650 --> 00:02:18.130
what kind of love means more.
59
00:02:18.930 --> 00:02:20.930
Chris: And you know what makes it even more complex?
60
00:02:21.810 --> 00:02:24.050
The casting of Miles Teller as young Larry
61
00:02:24.050 --> 00:02:26.770
and Callum Turner as Luke. They both had to
62
00:02:26.770 --> 00:02:28.850
make their relationships with Joan feel
63
00:02:28.850 --> 00:02:30.650
equally valid, but in completely different
64
00:02:30.650 --> 00:02:33.170
ways. It's like comparing a perfect summer
65
00:02:33.170 --> 00:02:34.450
day to all four seasons.
66
00:02:35.090 --> 00:02:37.050
Jessica: The way Elizabeth Olsen handles these
67
00:02:37.050 --> 00:02:39.050
emotional complexities must be pretty
68
00:02:39.050 --> 00:02:41.410
remarkable. She has to make us believe in
69
00:02:41.410 --> 00:02:42.490
both relationships.
70
00:02:43.290 --> 00:02:45.770
Chris: Um, um, absolutely crucial point.
71
00:02:46.010 --> 00:02:47.850
Her performance is what holds everything
72
00:02:48.010 --> 00:02:50.650
together. She has to show us why both these
73
00:02:50.650 --> 00:02:53.170
men matter to her, while also letting us see
74
00:02:53.170 --> 00:02:55.770
her genuine struggle with the choice. It's
75
00:02:55.770 --> 00:02:57.890
not just about who she picks, it's about what
76
00:02:57.890 --> 00:02:59.610
that choice says about love itself.
77
00:03:00.810 --> 00:03:02.690
Jessica: So even though the review mentions it's
78
00:03:02.690 --> 00:03:04.930
somewhat predictable where it's heading, the
79
00:03:04.930 --> 00:03:06.370
journey still matters more than the
80
00:03:06.370 --> 00:03:06.810
destination.
81
00:03:08.500 --> 00:03:10.380
Chris: You know, sometimes knowing where you're
82
00:03:10.380 --> 00:03:12.140
going allows you to focus on the more
83
00:03:12.140 --> 00:03:14.820
interesting questions along the way, like
84
00:03:15.300 --> 00:03:17.820
what makes a relationship meaningful? Is it
85
00:03:17.820 --> 00:03:19.980
the quality of time spent together? The
86
00:03:19.980 --> 00:03:22.460
quantity? The potential of what could have
87
00:03:22.460 --> 00:03:25.180
been? These are questions that anyone
88
00:03:25.180 --> 00:03:27.140
who's loved multiple people has probably
89
00:03:27.140 --> 00:03:27.860
grappled with.
90
00:03:28.580 --> 00:03:30.580
Jessica: Well, that's what makes this story so
91
00:03:30.580 --> 00:03:32.980
universally relatable, even with its
92
00:03:32.980 --> 00:03:35.840
fantastical premise. We've all wondered about
93
00:03:35.840 --> 00:03:38.760
the roads not taken in our lives, and in
94
00:03:38.760 --> 00:03:38.880
the.
95
00:03:38.880 --> 00:03:41.000
Chris: End, that's what makes this movie work so
96
00:03:41.000 --> 00:03:43.960
brilliantly. It takes these huge universal
97
00:03:43.960 --> 00:03:46.560
questions about love and mortality and
98
00:03:46.560 --> 00:03:48.680
examines them through this unique lens.
99
00:03:49.320 --> 00:03:52.000
The afterlife setting actually allows them to
100
00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:54.640
explore very earthly concerns about choice
101
00:03:54.640 --> 00:03:57.280
and regret in a way that feels fresh and
102
00:03:57.280 --> 00:03:57.960
engaging.
103
00:03:58.920 --> 00:04:00.440
Jessica: Sounds like they've managed to create
104
00:04:00.440 --> 00:04:02.160
something that's both entertaining and
105
00:04:02.160 --> 00:04:05.080
thought provoking. Not an easy balance
106
00:04:05.080 --> 00:04:05.600
to strike.
107
00:04:06.320 --> 00:04:08.680
Chris: Like you said, it's not easy. But when it
108
00:04:08.680 --> 00:04:11.560
works as it seems, to hear, you end up with
109
00:04:11.560 --> 00:04:13.680
something special, a story that makes us
110
00:04:13.680 --> 00:04:15.520
laugh while also making us think about what
111
00:04:15.520 --> 00:04:18.360
really matters in life. And apparently in the
112
00:04:18.360 --> 00:04:20.720
afterlife too. Rated m
113
00:04:20.880 --> 00:04:23.200
Eternity scores a 7.5 out of 10.
114
00:04:23.520 --> 00:04:25.760
Voice Over Guy: You've been listening to movies first
115
00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:28.800
available at Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
116
00:04:28.960 --> 00:04:31.720
iHeartRadio or your favourite podcast
117
00:04:31.720 --> 00:04:33.440
player. You can also stream on
118
00:04:33.440 --> 00:04:35.540
demand@bytes.com this.
119
00:04:35.540 --> 00:04:37.900
Chris: Has been another quality podcast production
120
00:04:37.900 --> 00:04:39.100
from tights. Com.
121
00:04:39.100 --> 00:04:41.000
Voice Over Guy: Um.
0
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.160
Chris: What if the afterlife had a bureaucracy
1
00:00:02.320 --> 00:00:04.320
complete with paperwork, deadlines and office
2
00:00:04.320 --> 00:00:07.240
politics? That's exactly what the new movie,
3
00:00:07.240 --> 00:00:09.800
Eternity, explores. Turning the age old
4
00:00:09.800 --> 00:00:12.200
question of eternal love into something
5
00:00:12.200 --> 00:00:14.080
surprisingly fresh and complex.
6
00:00:14.880 --> 00:00:17.320
Jessica: The premise really does grab you. Uh, it's
7
00:00:17.320 --> 00:00:19.400
like the Good Place meets Ghost, but with
8
00:00:19.400 --> 00:00:21.520
this fascinating twist about having to choose
9
00:00:21.520 --> 00:00:22.880
between two great loves.
10
00:00:23.520 --> 00:00:25.320
Chris: You know what's really compelling about the
11
00:00:25.320 --> 00:00:27.620
setup? They've given Joan,
12
00:00:28.020 --> 00:00:30.580
played brilliantly by Elizabeth Olsen,
13
00:00:30.820 --> 00:00:32.980
this impossible choice between her first
14
00:00:32.980 --> 00:00:35.340
husband, Luke, who died young in the Korean
15
00:00:35.340 --> 00:00:38.100
War, and Larry, who she spent
16
00:00:38.100 --> 00:00:40.980
65 years with. And they only have a
17
00:00:40.980 --> 00:00:43.340
week to decide before being sent to some kind
18
00:00:43.340 --> 00:00:44.980
of celestial basement.
19
00:00:46.180 --> 00:00:49.060
Jessica: Hmm. That time pressure element really adds
20
00:00:49.060 --> 00:00:51.540
something special to the story. It forces
21
00:00:51.540 --> 00:00:53.420
them to confront these big questions about
22
00:00:53.420 --> 00:00:55.140
love and mortality head on.
23
00:00:56.180 --> 00:00:57.580
Chris: Well, what makes it even more interesting is
24
00:00:57.580 --> 00:01:00.020
how they've structured the afterlife itself.
25
00:01:00.260 --> 00:01:02.340
You've got these coordinators, Divine Joy
26
00:01:02.340 --> 00:01:04.860
Randolph and John early, essentially acting
27
00:01:04.860 --> 00:01:07.540
as competing lawyers for each husband. It's
28
00:01:07.540 --> 00:01:09.740
like a cosmic custody battle for Joan's
29
00:01:09.740 --> 00:01:10.740
eternal soul.
30
00:01:11.459 --> 00:01:13.260
Jessica: The way they've balanced the tone must be
31
00:01:13.260 --> 00:01:15.140
challenging, though. How do you make
32
00:01:15.140 --> 00:01:16.980
something this heavy feel light enough for a
33
00:01:16.980 --> 00:01:17.940
romantic comedy?
34
00:01:18.580 --> 00:01:20.740
Chris: That's exactly what makes this film special.
35
00:01:21.410 --> 00:01:23.250
They manage to find this sweet spot between
36
00:01:23.570 --> 00:01:26.290
philosophical depth and genuine humor.
37
00:01:26.770 --> 00:01:29.450
Like that opening scene where elderly Joan
38
00:01:29.450 --> 00:01:31.690
and Larry are bickering on their way to a
39
00:01:31.690 --> 00:01:34.490
gender reveal party. It immediately grounds
40
00:01:34.490 --> 00:01:35.650
everything in reality.
41
00:01:36.530 --> 00:01:39.450
Jessica: Oh, and speaking of reality, I love how
42
00:01:39.450 --> 00:01:41.570
they've made the afterlife feel both magical
43
00:01:41.570 --> 00:01:44.490
and mundane at the same time. You can choose
44
00:01:44.490 --> 00:01:46.450
to spend eternity in the mountains or by the
45
00:01:46.450 --> 00:01:48.640
beach, but first you have to fill out the
46
00:01:48.640 --> 00:01:49.560
proper forms.
47
00:01:50.120 --> 00:01:53.080
Chris: Right. And that bureaucratic element actually
48
00:01:53.080 --> 00:01:55.880
serves the story in a fascinating way.
49
00:01:56.360 --> 00:01:58.360
It's like they're suggesting that even in
50
00:01:58.360 --> 00:02:00.920
paradise, we can't escape these very human
51
00:02:00.920 --> 00:02:03.720
systems we've created. But what really gets
52
00:02:03.720 --> 00:02:05.880
me is how they're exploring different kinds
53
00:02:05.880 --> 00:02:06.280
of love.
54
00:02:07.080 --> 00:02:09.560
Jessica: Well, that's true. You've got this perfect
55
00:02:09.560 --> 00:02:11.680
but brief first love with Luke versus this
56
00:02:11.680 --> 00:02:13.720
long, complex relationship with Larry.
57
00:02:14.450 --> 00:02:16.650
It's not just about who she loves more, but
58
00:02:16.650 --> 00:02:18.130
what kind of love means more.
59
00:02:18.930 --> 00:02:20.930
Chris: And you know what makes it even more complex?
60
00:02:21.810 --> 00:02:24.050
The casting of Miles Teller as young Larry
61
00:02:24.050 --> 00:02:26.770
and Callum Turner as Luke. They both had to
62
00:02:26.770 --> 00:02:28.850
make their relationships with Joan feel
63
00:02:28.850 --> 00:02:30.650
equally valid, but in completely different
64
00:02:30.650 --> 00:02:33.170
ways. It's like comparing a perfect summer
65
00:02:33.170 --> 00:02:34.450
day to all four seasons.
66
00:02:35.090 --> 00:02:37.050
Jessica: The way Elizabeth Olsen handles these
67
00:02:37.050 --> 00:02:39.050
emotional complexities must be pretty
68
00:02:39.050 --> 00:02:41.410
remarkable. She has to make us believe in
69
00:02:41.410 --> 00:02:42.490
both relationships.
70
00:02:43.290 --> 00:02:45.770
Chris: Um, um, absolutely crucial point.
71
00:02:46.010 --> 00:02:47.850
Her performance is what holds everything
72
00:02:48.010 --> 00:02:50.650
together. She has to show us why both these
73
00:02:50.650 --> 00:02:53.170
men matter to her, while also letting us see
74
00:02:53.170 --> 00:02:55.770
her genuine struggle with the choice. It's
75
00:02:55.770 --> 00:02:57.890
not just about who she picks, it's about what
76
00:02:57.890 --> 00:02:59.610
that choice says about love itself.
77
00:03:00.810 --> 00:03:02.690
Jessica: So even though the review mentions it's
78
00:03:02.690 --> 00:03:04.930
somewhat predictable where it's heading, the
79
00:03:04.930 --> 00:03:06.370
journey still matters more than the
80
00:03:06.370 --> 00:03:06.810
destination.
81
00:03:08.500 --> 00:03:10.380
Chris: You know, sometimes knowing where you're
82
00:03:10.380 --> 00:03:12.140
going allows you to focus on the more
83
00:03:12.140 --> 00:03:14.820
interesting questions along the way, like
84
00:03:15.300 --> 00:03:17.820
what makes a relationship meaningful? Is it
85
00:03:17.820 --> 00:03:19.980
the quality of time spent together? The
86
00:03:19.980 --> 00:03:22.460
quantity? The potential of what could have
87
00:03:22.460 --> 00:03:25.180
been? These are questions that anyone
88
00:03:25.180 --> 00:03:27.140
who's loved multiple people has probably
89
00:03:27.140 --> 00:03:27.860
grappled with.
90
00:03:28.580 --> 00:03:30.580
Jessica: Well, that's what makes this story so
91
00:03:30.580 --> 00:03:32.980
universally relatable, even with its
92
00:03:32.980 --> 00:03:35.840
fantastical premise. We've all wondered about
93
00:03:35.840 --> 00:03:38.760
the roads not taken in our lives, and in
94
00:03:38.760 --> 00:03:38.880
the.
95
00:03:38.880 --> 00:03:41.000
Chris: End, that's what makes this movie work so
96
00:03:41.000 --> 00:03:43.960
brilliantly. It takes these huge universal
97
00:03:43.960 --> 00:03:46.560
questions about love and mortality and
98
00:03:46.560 --> 00:03:48.680
examines them through this unique lens.
99
00:03:49.320 --> 00:03:52.000
The afterlife setting actually allows them to
100
00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:54.640
explore very earthly concerns about choice
101
00:03:54.640 --> 00:03:57.280
and regret in a way that feels fresh and
102
00:03:57.280 --> 00:03:57.960
engaging.
103
00:03:58.920 --> 00:04:00.440
Jessica: Sounds like they've managed to create
104
00:04:00.440 --> 00:04:02.160
something that's both entertaining and
105
00:04:02.160 --> 00:04:05.080
thought provoking. Not an easy balance
106
00:04:05.080 --> 00:04:05.600
to strike.
107
00:04:06.320 --> 00:04:08.680
Chris: Like you said, it's not easy. But when it
108
00:04:08.680 --> 00:04:11.560
works as it seems, to hear, you end up with
109
00:04:11.560 --> 00:04:13.680
something special, a story that makes us
110
00:04:13.680 --> 00:04:15.520
laugh while also making us think about what
111
00:04:15.520 --> 00:04:18.360
really matters in life. And apparently in the
112
00:04:18.360 --> 00:04:20.720
afterlife too. Rated m
113
00:04:20.880 --> 00:04:23.200
Eternity scores a 7.5 out of 10.
114
00:04:23.520 --> 00:04:25.760
Voice Over Guy: You've been listening to movies first
115
00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:28.800
available at Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
116
00:04:28.960 --> 00:04:31.720
iHeartRadio or your favourite podcast
117
00:04:31.720 --> 00:04:33.440
player. You can also stream on
118
00:04:33.440 --> 00:04:35.540
demand@bytes.com this.
119
00:04:35.540 --> 00:04:37.900
Chris: Has been another quality podcast production
120
00:04:37.900 --> 00:04:39.100
from tights. Com.
121
00:04:39.100 --> 00:04:41.000
Voice Over Guy: Um.
