Eternity

Death has rarely seemed as appealing as in Eternity, which provides a decent blueprint for how you might wish the afterlife eventually pans out.

A love triangle with a classic screwball vibe, this slight but inventive romantic comedy generates some intriguing relationship dynamics while repackaging familiar genre tropes to examine memories, commitment, regrets, second chances, and moving on.

The story opens with an amusing sequence involving an elderly couple bickering on the way to a gender reveal party. Unfortunately, our time with them is cut short when the man, named Larry, dies from a freak accident and is sent to a limbo version of a train station, given the physical characteristics of his happiest years.

“This is just a brief transition between life and eternity,” explains his bubbly assigned coordinator (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) who explains that he has a limited time to choose his idyllic “world” for his soul to enjoy moving forward.

Just as soon as Larry (Miles Teller) gets settled in, he’s joined by Joan (Elizabeth Olsen), his wife of 65 years, who passed away shortly afterward.

What seems a clear-cut choice to continue their partnership in the great beyond is complicated when they meet Luke (Callum Turner), an ex-soldier who died in the Korean War. She was also Joan’s first husband, unbeknownst to Larry, and has spent the last six decades working as a bartender for new arrivals, waiting to finally be reunited with Joan.

Thus begins a competition of sorts to win over her conflicted heart. We learn what she saw in both of her suitors, but when it comes time to choose just one, is there a third option that will make her happier?

The clever concept provides plenty of edgy amusement, bolstered by some frequently hilarious sight gags, mostly involving the available worlds. For example: Ever think 1930s Germany could have been great if it wasn’t for all the Nazis?

The exposition is perhaps inevitably clunky as the screenplay by Pat Cunnane and director David Freyne (The Cured) spells out the convoluted logistical details of its premise.

Charming performances help smooth out some of the rough patches in the second half, when the plot becomes more contrived while straining for life-affirming profundities.

Although the laughs are downplayed in favor of sentiment down the stretch, Eternity shows that being six feet under doesn’t have to ruin the fun.

Rated PG-13, 112 minutes.