Blending the heartfelt emotion of movies like The Notebook with the imaginative world of shows like The Good Place, one of Apple’s original films remains a standout almost a year after it first came out. Many popular romance stories delve into big questions about life, death, and what happens after, often featuring characters whose love extends beyond the boundaries of time. This is especially true for a 2025 hit that quickly became a beloved fantasy romance on Apple TV.
With a clever idea, excellent acting, and witty writing, the Apple Original movie Eternity offers a fresh take on the classic love story set after life. Directed by David Freyne (known for Dating Amber) and co-written with Patrick Cunnane (Designated Survivor), the film combines genuine romance with humor, creating a heartwarming experience similar in tone and impact to shows like NBC’s The Good Place (created by Michael Schur) and the beloved movie The Notebook.
Eternity Explores Romance In the Afterlife Like The Good Place
The TV show The Good Place on NBC, which aired from 2016 to 2020, starred Kristen Bell as Eleanor Shellstrop and followed her journey through the afterlife, including finding love. In the series, Joan is shown reconnecting with both of her late husbands in a special place: the charming Luke (Callum Turner), who died young in the Korean War, and Larry (Miles Teller), who was her husband for 65 years before passing away shortly before the show’s events.
In Eternity, the story follows Joan as she navigates the Junction, a place where people don’t get sick, and tries to understand its rules. She even wonders if it’s actually hell, questioning the impossible decision she has to make: spending forever with her initial husband or the man she shared fifty years of her life with. This dilemma feels similar to challenges Eleanor and her friends faced in The Good Place.
Both Eternity and The Good Place offered humorous takes on the afterlife, and the characters Anna and Ryan perfectly mirrored the immortal being, Michael (played by Ted Danson). The way souls are processed in Eternity‘s Junction – with a strict week to pick their eternal home and companions – feels similar to the system in The Good Place, especially as that show reimagines the afterlife and offers everyone a chance at a perfect existence.
As a film buff, I’ve noticed a really interesting parallel between the love triangle in Eternity – Joan, Larry, and Luke – and the relationships in The Good Place. It reminded me of how things played out with Jason Mendoza and his connections – he initially had a thing with Tahani, but ultimately ended up with Janet, the amazing afterlife guide. Like Eternity, and so many classic romance films, The Good Place really puts love at the center of everything. It’s fascinating to see these similar themes explored in such different settings!
Eternity & The Notebook Both Deliver a Perfect Romance Story
Both The Good Place and The Notebook tell love stories, but they do so in very different ways. The Good Place uses comedy and philosophical ideas to explore these themes, while The Notebook, released in 2004, is a more traditional and emotionally intense romance. Directed by Nick Cassavetes (My Sister’s Keeper), the film centers on a love story that’s revisited later in life through a cherished retelling. Compared to shows like The Good Place or films such as Eternity, The Notebook stands out as one of the most memorable romance stories ever made.
Okay, so The Notebook isn’t as laugh-out-loud funny as shows like Eternity or The Good Place, and it doesn’t deal with what happens after we die. But at its heart, it’s still an incredibly powerful love story – just like those other two! What really struck me watching Eternity is how all these stories, even though they’re different, share this core of genuine emotion. Whether it’s Noah and Allie in The Notebook, Eleanor and Chidi, or Joan and Larry (and Luke!), you find yourself connecting with their relationship because you see pieces of your own life reflected there. That’s what makes a romance truly great.
Okay, so as someone who loves a good romance, let me tell you about Eternity. It’s got that same heartfelt pull as The Notebook, but it doesn’t try to be something it’s not – no fantasy stuff or jokes thrown in just for the sake of it. What really sets it apart is how it takes this beautiful love story and adds a touch of magical realism, kind of like what you’d see in The Good Place. And honestly? Elizabeth Olsen, Miles Teller, Callum Turner…the whole cast is phenomenal. I think Eternity deserves another look, even now, almost a year after it first came out.
2026-07-28 19:11