Elizabeth Olsen stars in David Freyne’s new film, Eternity, now showing in theaters, bringing the Elizabeth Olsen Eternity movie into the spotlight. Blending comedy with deeper reflections on love, loss, and our capitalist surroundings, Olsen’s portrayal of Joan and the film’s satirical afterlife narrative resonate with audiences these days.
Exploring Life After Death with Humor and Heart
In Eternity, Elizabeth Olsen plays Joan, a woman who has recently lost her husband Larry, portrayed by Miles Teller, due to an unexpected pretzel mishap. Joan reunites with Larry at the whimsical Afterlife Junction, only to discover her first husband, Luke (Callum Turner), has been waiting patiently for her—sixty years since he died serving in Korea. Joan faces an agonizing choice between the partner with whom she built a life, and her first love, gone before their journey even began.
The premise is poignant but far from somber. The supporting cast, including Da’Vine Joy Randolph and John Early, injects considerable humor into the film, ensuring that laughter accompanies every twist in Joan’s afterlife adventure. The comedic tone, layered amidst themes of mortality, drew Olsen into the role.
“The cleverness of the humor was something I really loved,”
Olsen explained to TheWrap, adding,
“It felt like a timeless story that could have been made — especially told in this kind of screwball comedy way — that could have been told within many different generations. But I do think David created such contemporary humor.”
— Elizabeth Olsen, Actress
Satirical Capitalism in the Afterlife Setting
As Joan and her paramour navigate their eternal options, the afterlife emerges as a satirical consumer paradise. Eternity, in this vision, is filled with choices: a place with no men, endless beaches, and an ever-bustling lobby staffed by salespeople eager to sell dreams. Olsen found this setup sharply reflective of present-day society’s obsession with consumption.
“Even the afterlife itself felt incredibly contemporary and reflective of where we are as a culture today, where we are just consumers in a capitalist world,”
Olsen noted.
“And the fact that the afterlife is not meeting your Creator or having some sort of spiritual awakening, that it truly is just more consumerism and sell, sell, sell — I just found [it] to be a very funny reflection of who our modern day God is.”
— Elizabeth Olsen, Actress
Death as a Continuing Theme in Olsen’s Roles
While Eternity addresses themes of mortality, Olsen believes storytelling often hinges on life and death, even beyond her own notable roles. The Elizabeth Olsen Eternity movie follows her earlier projects where dying and loss took center stage, but she doesn’t view this thread as unusual or a deliberate choice.
“I think most things are about death and dying in storytelling, a lot of it is at least,”
she observed.
“We try and tell stories with high stakes, and often stakes are created by our mortality, I think.”
— Elizabeth Olsen, Actress
Olsen’s association with grief began with the series Sorry for Your Loss. Viewers have linked this to her time as Wanda Maximoff in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including projects like His Three Daughters. She sees these connections as more nuanced than a focus solely on death.
“With ‘Sorry for Your Loss,’ that was kind of the first, in a way. Whereas, all of the Scarlet Witch’s journey has just has been a very large evolution, so I don’t think of it as just one thing. It’s also about being a mother, which is more about creation,”
Olsen said. — Elizabeth Olsen, Actress
“And then ‘His Three Daughters’ was really, to me — like you’ve said, this movie is not so much about death, it’s more about the infinite eternity — but I guess with [director Azazel Jacobs] is, as his friend, it was really kind of also like helping him prep himself for what was going to happen in some way with his parents.”
— Elizabeth Olsen, Actress
Personal Satisfaction in Portraying Joan
Elizabeth Olsen describes Joan as a genuine, sweet older woman, allowing Olsen to embrace a character that parallels aspects of her own spirit. Yet, she is quick to point out that Joan is more than just gentle.
“I do think there’s bite to her, though,”
Olsen observed.
“And her sense of humor, I think with Larry specifically, there is a — I think that the joy I had in portraying that relationship between Miles and I was kind of the intimacy that comes with that kind of bickering and the comfort you have with someone to not hold back exactly who you are, and how you feel, and your opinions about everything.”
— Elizabeth Olsen, Actress
Meaningful Simplicity and Reflection in ‘Eternity’
For Olsen, the Elizabeth Olsen Eternity movie is ultimately a comforting exploration of what relationships and choices mean after death. The story’s satirical approach to a bureaucratic, capitalistic afterlife only highlights the ordinary beauty and weight of lasting relationships.
“I think the reason why, going back to this backdrop of the afterlife being this capitalist, consumerism, bureaucratic hell, it allows you to actually just focus on this simplicity, and the gravity, at the same time, of the relationships that we build in this world in a very mundane, banal way,”
Olsen reflected. — Elizabeth Olsen, Actress
“It doesn’t maybe sound the most exciting to be with someone for, you know, 20 years or 25 years, maybe nothing new seems like it comes of it, but I think every time you’re with someone for another year is actually something new. What we don’t know is what it would feel like to be with someone for that long,”
she continued.
“Who we become in our lives is directly informed by the people who are closest to us. And so I found it to be really comforting and a really sweet reflection on what is actually important.”
— Elizabeth Olsen, Actress
The Significance of Olsen’s Latest Performance
Eternity stands out as an inventive blend of comedy and existential musings within Olsen’s career, marked by its exploration of afterlife choices and contemporary capitalist themes. Featuring an ensemble cast, including John Early, Callum Turner, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph, the film provides not just laughs, but poignant reflections on the bonds forged by time and experience.
With elements ranging from philosophical satire to raw emotional connection, the Elizabeth Olsen Eternity movie underscores the enduring relevance of the questions: who do we want by our side in the hereafter, and how does the consumer-driven world shape even the most sacred realms?
Audiences can now experience Olsen’s heartfelt performance and the film’s unique take on love, eternity, and modern life, as Eternity screens in theaters everywhere.
