Eternity 2025

The film Eternity presents a profound meditation on immortality through a philosophical lens that echoes ideas from existentialism and phenomenology. By portraying eternal life not as a triumph over death but as an existential burden, the film aligns closely with the philosophies of thinkers such as Martin Heidegger, Albert Camus, and Friedrich Nietzsche.

From a Heideggerian perspective, Eternity strongly reflects the concept of Being-toward-death. Heidegger argues that human authenticity arises from the awareness of mortality; it is the inevitability of death that gives meaning and urgency to existence. In Eternity, immortality removes this fundamental structure of being. The characters are no longer oriented toward an end, which results in existential disorientation and emotional emptiness. Without death as a horizon, their lives lose direction, purpose, and authenticity.

Albert Camus’ philosophy of the absurd is also deeply embedded in the film’s narrative. Camus describes the absurd as the conflict between humanity’s desire for meaning and the silent indifference of the universe. In Eternity, immortality intensifies this absurd condition. The characters continue to exist endlessly, yet their actions no longer carry lasting significance. Like Camus’ Sisyphus, they are condemned to repetition—living through endless cycles of attachment and loss. However, unlike Camus’ call for rebellion through conscious acceptance, the characters in Eternity often respond with withdrawal, emotional numbness, and despair.

Nietzsche’s ideas further enrich the film’s philosophical depth, particularly his concept of eternal recurrence. Nietzsche asks whether one could affirm life if forced to live it over and over again for eternity. Eternity offers a bleak answer: repetition without transformation leads not to affirmation, but to exhaustion. The characters’ inability to fully embrace their endless existence suggests that life gains its value through finitude and irreversible moments rather than infinite repetition.

The film also raises ethical questions connected to existential responsibility. If one is immortal, does one still bear moral responsibility toward mortals? The emotional distance maintained by the characters can be interpreted as an attempt to avoid suffering, yet it results in moral isolation. This reflects existentialist concerns about freedom and responsibility, where avoiding commitment becomes a form of bad faith (mauvaise foi), as described by Jean-Paul Sartre.

Stylistically, the film reinforces its philosophical themes through minimalism and repetition. The slow pacing, extended silences, and restrained cinematography mirror the weight of infinite time. This aesthetic choice aligns with phenomenological approaches, inviting the viewer to experience duration, stillness, and emotional fatigue rather than merely observe them.

In conclusion, Eternity functions as a cinematic thought experiment that challenges humanity’s obsession with everlasting life. Through its engagement with existential and philosophical traditions, the film argues that mortality is not a limitation to overcome but a fundamental condition that makes meaning, identity, and authentic living possible. By stripping life of its ending, Eternity ultimately reveals why the end matters.