David Freyne’s ‘Eternity’ Nails the Rom-Com Formula

It’s worth having a think about what actually makes a romantic comedy work, especially when so many reckon the genre’s lost its spark. While some say the charm and sharpness of a good rom-com have faded from the big screen, David Freyne’s latest, Eternity, is proof there’s still plenty of life left in the old formula. These days, films tend to be moody, slow-paced, and all about the visuals, sometimes at the expense of a solid story. But if you look back at the best rom-coms, it’s always the story that leads the way, with a good dose of charm following close behind. That’s exactly what Freyne delivers here—enough warmth and wit to leave you grinning for days.

Classic Influences and a Fresh Take

The inspiration for Eternity started with a moodboard. Chatting about the film, which sees Elizabeth Olsen’s Joan torn between her long-time husband and a younger bloke she lost too soon, I mentioned Groundhog Day. There’s a similar vibe—both films use a bit of fantasy but keep things grounded with genuine emotion and cracking chemistry. John Hughes’ films also came up, with their knack for turning coming-of-age moments into something almost legendary, thanks to sharp writing. Freyne and Pat Cunnane’s script walks the line between silly and heartfelt, never missing a beat.

Freyne himself pointed to some big names as influences.

“Nora Ephron from that period was a huge influence,”

he said, but it was the old-school legends who really shaped his approach.

“The biggest influences were Billy Wilder films and Preston Sturges films,”

he explained.

“Those kind of old Golden Era rom coms that had so much heart and humour and weren’t afraid to go for big emotions, which I think we don’t do as often now in cinema.”

He wanted to capture the magic of those ‘40s and ‘50s classics, aiming high with every scene.

“Those old, old Hollywood kind of rom coms were the big, big, big touchstone for me when I was making it.”

The Power of Perfect Casting

Of course, the real secret to a top-notch rom-com is the cast. Think Meg Ryan, Molly Ringwald, Marilyn Monroe, Henry Fonda, Dean Martin—icons who could carry a film with just a look. For Eternity, Freyne found his dream team in Elizabeth Olsen, Miles Teller, and Callum Turner. Turner plays Luke, the young fella who’s been waiting 67 years in the afterlife to see Joan again, while Teller is Larry, Joan’s grumpy but loyal husband. The two bounce off each other with classic comedic timing, and Olsen brings real depth to Joan’s dilemma, making the whole thing feel honest and relatable.

Freyne knew he’d struck gold.

“They really were dream casting,”

he said.

“It’s kind of who I wanted for the roles, but they don’t audition, you offer them, and I felt so fortunate that they said yes.”

But it wasn’t just about getting big names.

“I think for me, though, the anxiety was whether they would get on,”

he admitted. Chemistry is everything in this genre, and luckily, the trio clicked straight away.

“We ended up having rehearsals in Lizzie’s house, and very quickly I could see them bonding and just having conversations about our lives and our loves, I could see how they were connecting with each other, and I could see that chemistry building.”

Bold Choices and Big Laughs

Another key ingredient is a bit of boldness. Freyne brings that in spades, both in his script and his direction, creating an afterlife that’s as ridiculous as it is brilliant. The cast were all in, too.

“They were so game to they had no embarrassment in going for the biggest loss. They had no ego in anything in the film. And they really just put their hearts and souls into it,”

he said. Freyne was chuffed with the script, but the cast took it to another level.

“I was really proud of the script. I think it was really great. But they made it so much more funny and so much more moving than I thought it could be,”

he added. That’s the magic of a great rom-com—when the right people come together, the laughs and the heart just fall into place.