The Reelist

Tag: romance

  • “Carolina Caroline” review

    “Carolina Caroline” review

    The new romantic crime thriller, Carolina Caroline, directed by Adam Rehmeier and starring Samara Weaving and Kyle Gallner, is the first screening I decided to attend at Philadelphia Film Society’s 2026 Springfest. Set sometime in the past and in the backdrop of the American southeast, this new-age “Bonnie and Clyde” style film has an old-school charm that’s hard to resist. While it’s ultimately predictable and familiar, it is still an enjoyable experience, anchored by two solid lead performances by Samara Weaving and Kyle Gallner. 

    For anyone that’s seen Bonnie and Clyde, or anything similar to it, the plot of Carolina Caroline will sound quite familiar. A young woman named Caroline, who lives with her dad, meets an outlaw named Oliver. Swept off her feet by his good looks and charm, Caroline decides to join Oliver, leaving a trail of crime while simultaneously looking for her estranged mother throughout the southeast United States. 

    While there are a few wrinkles thrown in here and there to slightly differentiate it, this type of story has been done before. This familiarity can be comforting, but it’s also what makes the film predictable. We’ve all seen how these romantic crime thrillers go and, without saying too much, it follows the same trajectory more or less. Of course, that does not make it bad by any means. There’s a good amount of entertainment, it’s just that I feel like I’ve seen it before.

    Despite all of that, there is still much to like here. Many of the production aspects of the film are solid, particularly the cinematography and production design. While not explicitly stated, it takes place sometime in the past, and things such as the production design and costumes help convey that pretty clearly. It gives it sort of this “classic” look and feel that others in the genre try to pull off, but don’t do it nearly as well. 

    Carolina Caroline is not a film that attempts to break new ground in the romantic crime thriller genre. It doesn’t try to do too much and plays it pretty safe, which results in a predictable story that you’ve probably seen before. Nevertheless, this is still an entertaining, well-made and acted film that does more right than wrong. This is essentially a modern age Bonnie and Clyde, and it pays homage to it quite well in that sense. 

    Rating: 3.5/5

  • “Eternity” review 

    “Eternity” review 

    In the age of endless sequels and franchise installments, Eternity, directed and co-written by David Freyne, feels like a breath of fresh air. Not only is it a breath of fresh air, but it’s a good breath of fresh air. Mixing in a nice balance of romance and comedy, solid performances, stellar cinematography, and a thoughtful script, the result is one of the best rom-coms of the year that is sure to tug at your heartstrings. 

    Eternity opens with an elderly couple, Larry and Joan, on their way to a gender reveal party. While there, Larry chokes on pretzels and dies. After his death, Larry finds himself on a train to an unknown location. When he arrives, he meets his afterlife coordinator, Anna, who informs him that he is dead and is now at a hub, and that he must decide within ten days where he wants to spend his eternity. The caveat is that while each eternity is unique, it is final and escaping it would result in being thrown into a void. Larry decides to wait for Joan, as she has terminal cancer and it is only a matter of time before she passes. Joan eventually passes and reunites with Larry at the hub, while also spotting her first love, Luke, who died in the Korean War many years ago. Joan now faces a decision between Luke and Larry on who she wants to spend her eternity with.  

    From left to right: Elizabeth Olsen as Joan, Miles Teller as Larry, and Callum Turner as Luke

    The film’s concept is creative, and it finds just the right balance of drama, romance, and comedy. The jokes land for the most part, and the drama, especially towards the end, makes you feel something. I ended up becoming attached to these characters and caring about what was going to happen next. Of course, this is helped greatly by a solid cast, highlighted by the trio of Elizabeth Olsen as Joan, Miles Teller as Larry, and Callum Turner as Luke. Teller does an especially good job by essentially playing an elderly man in a younger man’s body, and he keeps it believable.

    One aspect of the film that I enjoyed is how thoughtful the screenplay is in regard to how Joan tackles her decision and the decision she ultimately makes by the end. It gives the experience more emotional weight compared to many of the other entries in the rom-com genre.  

    Another aspect of the film that is unexpectedly noteworthy is the cinematography by Ruairi O’Brien. This is a very good-looking film in many ways, and the use of color in particular is impressive. The opening scene with the elderly Larry and Joan uses a duller color palette, aligning with the reality of a couple close to the end of their lives. When Larry arrives at the hub, the colors are more vibrant but not overly so. The most colorfully vibrant scenes are the ones in eternity, as it’s supposed to represent eternal bliss. It’s small details like this that add to the overall experience of the film. 

    All in all, Eternity is a solid experience filled with laughs and emotion, backed by a stellar cast and superb visuals. Despite a predictable ending, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it by the end. If this is what eternity actually looks like, then count me in. 

    Rating: 4/5