Chloe Zhao’s Eternals (2021): Four years after its divisive release, what is your take on the film today?

I understand why many had a hostile reaction towards Eternals. The film is slow and does drag in parts, a stronger edit might have helped in dealing with its deficiencies, and while I like Gemma Chan as an actress, Sersi is a fairly bland protagonist. I couldn't be invested on her or her romance with Richard Madden's Ikaris.

Still, I liked Eternals. The cinematography is splendorous and epic, especially in the last act. I liked the score. Some of the performances stand out like Kumail Nanjiani's Kingo, Angelina Jolie's Thena, Barry Keoghan's Druid. Say what you will, the director picked a superb cast for the film.

The action scenes aren't frequent yet they are highly effective. I've never seen someone truly convey the abilities of a speedster in a live-action film like Chloe Zhao did with Makkari, her fight scene with Ikaris being the highlight of the film, in my opinion.

I also enjoyed the tone of the film, it's more existential and thought-provoking. The director's personal aesthetic is present in the film, instead of it just being a paycheck film lacking any identity from the filmmaker.

I wouldn't mind Chloe Zhao getting a 2nd chance at Eternals 2, though it will never happen.