Reviewed on 8th September at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival
Cast: Miles Teller, Elizabeth Olsen, Callum Turner, John Early, Olga Merediz, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Director: David Freyne
In Irish Cinemas: 5th December 2025
Larry meets an abrupt end by choking on a pretzel during a gender-reveal celebration, only to awaken as a younger version of himself aboard a train gliding into The Junction, a transit hub for freshly departed souls en route to tailor-made paradises. Afterlife coordinator Anna escorts him through this peculiar orientation, during which he chooses to remain in limbo until his wife, Joan, arrives. When Joan finally appears, dressed in a hospital gown, their emotional reunion is swiftly disrupted by the sudden arrival of her first husband, Luke, a dreamboat from her youth who perished in the Korean War.
The Junction serves as a sorting house for those bound for bespoke afterlives such as Men Free World, Queer World, and the perpetually overbooked Wine World. Anna plays with sly warmth as Da’Vine Joy Randolph guides Larry through a seven-day trial period in a sleek, high-rise apartment, where he must select his eternal destination; once that choice is made, it’s permanent. An alternative option allows him to wait for Joan in a modest, lower-tier unit.
On day seven, Joan succumbs to cancer back on Earth and emerges in the afterlife restored to her youthful self, portrayed by Elizabeth Olsen. The couple’s tear-stained embrace is quickly overshadowed by the entrance of rival coordinator Ryan (John Early) and his long-waiting client: Luke (Callum Turner), who has spent 67 years yearning for another chance with the woman he adored. Joan now faces a ticking clock and a monumental decision—between two husbands and two divergent eternities.
Eternity becomes a whimsical, emotionally charged tapestry, confidently constructing its afterlife mythology while slipping in crisp, time-sensitive rules through the arch humour of its coordinators, guardians who steer souls toward their perfect forever, lest any wander into the void. Teller and Turner bring crackling tension and vulnerability as duelling suitors, each pulling the audience ever deeper into Joan’s heart-rending dilemma. When the moment of truth arrives, the storytellers refuse to soften the blow, instead exploring the resonant ripples of Joan’s final choice.
Randolph delivers a powerhouse performance, peppering the film with uproarious, salt-rimmed zingers. Early revels in delightful mischief, and Olga Merediz leaves a sharp impression as Joan and Larry’s blunt, big-hearted neighbour, who undergoes a hilariously liberating transformation upon widowhood. Director Freyne orchestrates the film’s twists and ornate structure with confidence, stumbling only when striving to tie every thread into a too-neat package. Ultimately, both in limbo and in life, the lingering mess is part of the joy.
Overall: 7/10
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