‘Eternals’ review: Chloé Zhao takes the reins and creates one of Marvel’s best films yet [Grade: B+]

Since its emergence as a powerhouse populist franchise that delivers box office behemoth after behemoth, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has prided itself on a static formula that has been the source of its audience-friendly success, as well as its critical detractors. With every studio release overseen by producer Kevin Feige, this formula, for better and for worse, has become synonymous with his output in a way that has resulted in creative voices like Edgar Wright and Scott Derrickson leaving projects over creative differences.

Yet, when the director to Marvel’s latest property was announced as (soon to be Academy Award winner) Chloé Zhao—with reportedly ample creative control—the question has persisted: How would the independent artistic sensibilities of the director of films like Best Picture Oscar winner Nomadland and The Rider fair when tasked with helming a studio-driven project in Marvel’s ever-growing assembly line of comic book properties. Well, Eternals has arrived, and with it, the answer to the question that will help define the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

The third installment of Marvel’s fourth phase, Eternals follows the titular group of heroes over the course of seven thousand years of human history. With a uniquely expansive nature, it takes an enlightening opening crawl—the first of the franchise—to catch us up with the mythology behind the film. Sent by the godly Celestial Arishem to further human evolution and protect humanity from a group of deadly creatures known only as Deviants, the film opens as the Eternals arrive on Earth for their first task. In a stunning opening sequence, we are introduced to the ten beings, as they glide across the screen with superheroic glory in battle and harmony alongside a plethora of powers that help them achieve their goals. 

Flashing forward to a present where all the Deviants have been exterminated and the Eternals are long broken up, we find Sersei (Gemma Chan) well-ingrained in human life, with a human partner and fellow Eternal Sprite (Lia McHugh) in tow. Content with her current state, she lives a life full of peace until the mysterious re-emergence of the Deviants threatens to ruin the balance the Eternals had cultivated. After vanquishing one of the Deviants with Sprite and Ikaris’ (Richard Madden) help, the three Eternals set off on a cross-continental journey to reunite the Eternals in order to face the threat of the Deviants as they reminisce about their past endeavors and their higher purpose in this world.

Telling a story of this scope is no simple feat, but Chloé Zhao ambitiously attempts to do so with much to commend. However, built around a nonlinear structure that weaves together past and present, Eternals finds itself to be somewhat flawed in its over-expositional execution. 

With a plethora of information to deliver in a short amount of time (the film’s gargantuan 157-minute runtime is still too quick for what it contains), Zhao and her co-writers crafted a narratively dense story that is powered by roughly drawn benchmarks. Seemingly a consequence of Marvel’s tight formula and production schedules, it leads to a few misshapen beats throughout the film. Sersi’s journey to reunite the Eternals requires an overwhelming amount of character introductions to be told that when factored into the overall story, may seem somewhat jarring and rushed in comparison to the film’s more intimate moments. Thankfully, the occasional expositional mishaps and formulaic touch are overcome by the presence of the other aspects that Zhao brings to the table, resulting in a film that is unlike anything that has been seen in the franchise it belongs to. 

With Eternals, Zhao plays into her Academy Award-winning directorial talents to make the film truly shine. While a far cry from the rest of her oeuvre, she successfully manages to blend studio demands with her uniquely poetic visual flair. Her push for the use of actual locations as opposed to the green screen-filled environments typical in blockbuster filmmaking pays off, giving even the bombastic action sequences a tangible, naturalistic atmosphere that is lacking from previous installments in the franchise. That is not to say that the film doesn’t have its fair share of clinical shots that lack personality, but alongside veteran Marvel cinematographer Ben Davis (and camera operator Joshua James Richards), Zhao manages to elevate the material enough to infuse the film with beautifully lit shots that linger on the screen to bring about the pensively intimate grandeur that marks her work. Even in the galactic sequences that could see less experienced independent filmmakers crushed under the weight of their scope, Zhao holds her own to maintain a stunning vision in which her oft-mentioned references to classic works can be clearly noted. 

Traversing through mature themes that bring about questions of our own lives and humanity’s relationship with violence, destruction, and our ability (or inability) to affect the outcomes of both interpersonal and global conflicts, the thematic throughline of Zhao’s narrative also serves to elevate it from the rest of her predecessors. Through the eyes of gods, we are shown countless impactful events in human history, witnessing the emotional and physical toll they take on these beings. 

Tasked with helping aid human advancement yet prohibited to interfere in human conflicts leaves many of their members questioning their purpose and struggling with the guilt of being directly or indirectly responsible for their actions. Zhao tackles the lasting implications of weight expertly, taking a handful of members and showcasing their breaking points alongside their state of mind in the present. Druig (Barry Keoghan), who holds the power to control humans, is shown to struggle with the fact that he cannot stop the Spanish conquest of Tenochtitlán, leaving the group to run a small village where he can oversee the inhabitants in peace and harmony. Meanwhile, Phastos (Bryan Tyree Henry) inhibits his role as a being that aids humanity with his inventions until his scientific advancements result in the atomic bomb that is dropped in Hiroshima, leaving him emotionally broken and unwilling to help humanity any further, becoming a reserved family man who lives quietly and contently with a husband and child (it’s worth noting that while this is far from the “first” LGBTQ+ character in the franchise, it’s the first role that holds actual weight to it and develops the character as a major player). After the Eternals’ reunite, this central conflict is fleshed out with many of the group torn between helping humanity and supporting the advancements of evolution and intergalactic life itself. 

While bombastic action sequences are present in the film, Zhao’s focus on this internal conflict results in a character-driven narrative with much emotion and an intimate heart, once again in deep contrast to the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. These efforts are highlighted by a cast of actors who all deliver thoughtfully meditative performances, channeling both the weight of subtly being intergenerational icons in battle as well as inhibiting subdued moments of loss and heartbreak. The diversity at play in this ensemble elevates the film as well, aiding the film’s universal nature by giving audiences true representation in an organic and thoughtful way with many “firsts” that will surely inspire future generations of marginalized backgrounds.

On top of the aforementioned Chan, Madden, Keoghan, and Henry, the young Lia McHugh cements herself as a talent to watch in her portrayal of Sprite as a seven thousand-year-old being limited to the body of a child, unable to truly have a human experience in contrast to her adult counterparts. Another highlight of the cast, Angelina Jolie portrays Thena, a battle-hardened warrior broken down by a form of millennia-spanning PTSD. Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, Don Lee, Salma Hayek, and many more deserve mentions as well, but the extent to which any of the ten core members of the Eternals could be a personal favorite and no one would question you is a testament to the all-around talents of the cast and those that shaped their words. 

While Eternals may be Chloé Zhao’s most conventional effort and falls prey to the typical faults of the franchise, she manages to elevate the blockbuster formula to craft one of Marvel’s best films yet. With incredible ambition and a brilliant vision, Zhao’s ambitious storytelling overcomes occasional expositional issues to break convention, subvert expectations, and work wonders, grappling with mature themes and melding an incredible scope with an intimate heart. Simply put, it’s a brilliant, visually stunning epic that is unlike anything you’ve seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and stands tall as not only the best superhero film of the year but one of the best blockbusters of the year as well. 

Grade: B+

Walt Disney and Marvel Studios will release Eternals exclusively in theaters on November 5, 2021.

Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios