Written by Andreas Babiolakis

Warning: This review is for Eternal Return, which is a film presented at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. There may be slight spoilers present. Reader discretion is advised.

Image courtesy of the Toronto International film Festival.

When a film releases two years after it was shot, that usually is not a good sign. In the case of Yaniv Raz’s Eternal Return, this delay may be because of how uncharacteristically heavy the generated effects are for a romantic comedy-drama, especially since this was a small team effort. Shot in Britain during the writing and acting strikes of 2023, Eternal Return cleverly casts locals either as themselves or as Americans. This includes Cass (Naomi Scott) — short for Cassiopeia — who migrates to London after the love of her life, Julian (Jay Lycurgo), passes away in a plane accident. Cass has the ability to see into the future via blips of visions and was able to navigate her life with this power, including her relationship with Julian. They start dating, create a band together (she is the singing harpist, and he a cellist). They were clearly destined to be together. However, her psychic sight never prepared her for the passing of Julian. She moves to England. She loses her ability to see ahead. She puts away her harp. She plants herself in a dead-end job as a statistics analyst. Eternal Return begins on her twenty-ninth birthday with objects around her acting in reverse: she wants to go back to life before the accident.

That same birthday night, Cass drunkenly stumbles into a cartographer’s shop. There she finds the map maker himself: Virgil (Kit Harrington). Virgil is socially awkward but intellectually verbose. Upon hearing that Cass is celebrating another year being alive, Virgil gifts her a map of the human heart: a conquest she is in dire need of undertaking. Awkwardly, Virgil invites Cass to a funeral that is the very next day; even stranger is that the funeral is for a poor dog. Its owner, Malcolm (Simon Callow), is good friends with Virgil and has spilled the beans to Cass about a very important journey: to the past. Malcolm wishes to transport back to sixties New York City to relive his salad days. Cass is understandably apprehensive about this experiment but, after spending some time with Malcolm and Virgil, sees something clearer. Virgil uses cosmologic pathways to find trigger points that unlock memories for Malcolm, and they are to act as stepping stones towards opening up an astral doorway to Malcolm’s past as intended. Cass is finally on board and requests her own star map so she can be reunited with Julian. Meanwhile, all of this bonding has left Virgil and Cass connected despite being opposites as human beings. Should Cass travel back in time to her first love, or is she meant to live in the present and appreciate what she has now?

Eternal Return is actually more solid than it would initially appear. It is swept up by the fantasies of everyday life in the way Amélie is. This is important, because much of Eternal Return teases the possibility of time travel (think Safety Not Guaranteed, where the up-in-the-air possibility is half of the mystery of the film). Time travel is such a farfetched concept that it can take much to dispel disbelief, but Eternal Return’s curious and fairy tale-like nature will make you follow along and anticipate this impossibility as much as Cass does. Eternal Return uses the blueprints of a Hallmark film but it is the wondrous style and sparkling effects that elevate it to being something a bit more memorable. Nonetheless, the tropes are all still there: a woman is encouraged to move on and leave her comfort zone all in the name of love. It’s weird to call Eternal Return a spectacle, but it winds up being one in unexpected ways.

Scott as Cass channels her inner Anne Hathaway and is enchanting. Harrington has floundered since Game of Thrones ended, but he is kind of endearing as the fumbling academic Virgil. I think both stars stand out on their own as characters, but I do think that a romantic film needs that chemistry between its lovers in order to reach its potential. Unfortunately, I don’t understand how Cass and Virgil could be anything more than friends, no matter how many stars align for this to happen. Their mutual kindness makes them realistically allies, but I never felt like the proper next step for them to fall in love ever happens, nor do I believe that it is feasible given the footage we are presented with. I want to believe because I like both characters, but just because two people are pleasant in each other’s company, that doesn’t make them soul mates.

This notion is proven by a late game revelation (I will remain vague as to not heavily spoil the plot of Eternal Return) that is meant to be a sign of regret via an apology. The intention is for this character to take ownership of their mistake and how they hurt the other person, while showing that there is too much history between the two partners for such a choice to ruin what they have. Unfortunately, I see a master deceiver who meant well but accidentally exploited someone traumatized (like one of those bogus television mediums who insist that they can help heal someone when, really, they are con artists). I won’t go as far as calling this character a monster, but I don’t think this moment is nearly as endearing or forgivable as Eternal Return wants it to be.

In the end, we are posed with an intriguing final thought where the film acts as an ouroboros and ends where it begins. We are encouraged to understand the pathways and what lies ahead as a result. To be fair, I kind of followed along. I don’t mean that the film is challenging to understand: it is as clear as day with its logic. However, I do feel that Eternal Return somewhat loses its way as a film, particularly in the moments that matter the most. Leading up to this misstep, Eternal Return is almost shockingly charming; even if I don’t feel the necessary love between both Cass and Virgil, I did collapse into the film’s arms and feel its embrace. Eternal Return is quite a magical film, but not every illusion works; it can be difficult to trust the rest of a magician’s set if they accidentally revealed how one trick works, or if one trick doesn’t work out as intended. Even so, the rest of the magician’s performance — the parts that did win you over — will still resonate in your mind just as much as that rabbit that prematurely leapt out of the hat and spoiled the illusion. Eternal Return has these flaws, but I do believe that its earnestness allows it to be worth a watch, especially when the stakes aren’t so high.

Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Toronto Metropolitan University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.