Given Eternity was released right in the middle of awards season and thus received minimal promotion from studio A24, you might think that this romantic comedy/drama is nothing more than a low expectations affair, made for a quick buck. How wrong you would be.

Eternity has in some ways been shafted with such an unfortunate release date. Sure, it’s not an awards contender but it’s not pretending to be. What it is is a fun, original, well-made movie reminiscent of a classic 90s rom-com with a touch of classic screwball comedy.

Here’s the premise: Joan (Elizabeth Olsen, underappreciated in general) is dead. She winds up in an afterlife – everyone returns to the afterlife at the prime of their life – where she has one week to decide where to spend eternity. Or, perhaps more pressingly in Joan’s case, who she will spend her eternity with. Because her husband Larry (Miles Teller who nails the balance of comedy and charm) is also dead, and he’s been waiting for Joan to show up, scouting out possible eternities for them to live (choices include Beach World, Men Free World (at full capacity), 1960s Paris). How sweet one might think, but of course, nothing is that simple.

Enter Joan’s first husband Luke (Callum Turner), who died at war (Korea, Larry likes to point out), who has been waiting for her for decades. Now Joan, whose happiness with Luke was cut tragically short but who later found love and stability with Larry for 65 years, has to make a decision – who will she spend eternity with?

It’s an unique premise that adds genuine weight to the decision Joan has to make. Does she spend her eternity with the dashing Luke, her first love with whom she never really got to make memories with? Or dependable Larry, the man she has already lived a lifetime with? Director David Freyne manages to balance the quirky comedy of the movie’s premise with genuinely tender and heart-wrenching moments. Joan isn’t taking this decision lightly and both Larry and Luke are acutely aware that they may spend an eternity without the woman they love.

The cast, on the whole, is superb. Elizabeth Olsen is the emotional anchor of the movie (of course she is, it’s Elizabeth Olsen) but also showcases strong comedic range particularly in channelling the mannerisms of an elderly woman who has returned to her younger self’s body. Miles Teller needs to do more comedy: his rapport with Da’Vine Joy Randolph  (hilarious and moving) who plays his afterlife coordinator is a particular highlight as well as his and Olsen’s comfortable bickering, cementing their character’s 65 year marriage.

Callum Turner might be where the magic fades a little. He is neither convincing as a young war vet who’s been waiting years for the love of his life to arrive in the afterlife, nor does he possess much in the way of comedy. (If the James Bond rumours are true then…um, good for him?)

Like all good ‘who will she choose’ movies, Eternity keeps you on your toes, never truly knowing which way Joan’s head will turn. For all the comedy – there’s a lot but it’s not excessive – the movie shines brightest when tugging at your heartstrings, and it certainly does this. We, the audience, know from the start that at least one of the trio will be left heartbroken and the to-ing and fro-ing coupled with the looming one week deadline, yanks at the heartstrings.

Eternity is a strong, charming romantic-comedy that has suffered from a badly timed release date. It deserves better.