Cheers to Life (Viva a Vida, 2025) unfolds as a refreshingly simple yet heartfelt tale, immediately immersing us in the disordered yet endearing world of Jessica, an antique shop worker whose routine is disrupted by the discovery of a mysterious locket. What appears to be a trivial trinket soon sparks a transformative journey, pulling her beyond the faded corners of her shop and into a vibrant odyssey of family secrets and self-reinvention. The plot soon sees Jessica embarking on unexpected travels, uncovering long-lost relatives and the promise of a surprising inheritance. Blending comedic detours with tender revelations, the film leans into the familiar charm of rediscovering oneself by piecing together the forgotten fragments of the past.
This article contains spoilers.
Cheers to Life (Viva a Vida, 2025) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
The film opens with a narrator, Hava, telling a story about a traveller who placed a sign at a crossroads to indicate where he came from, implying that to envision one’s future, one must first understand one’s past. One month earlier, Jessica, who works at an antique shop and is struggling with being a saleswoman, reminisces about her mother, Deborah, and grandmother, Raquel.
In a flashback, we see Raquel giving Jessica a locket, telling her it had been worn by the brave women in their family. One day, someone sends the belongings of a deceased person to the antique shop. While inspecting them, Jessica accidentally breaks a porcelain item and discovers a locket identical to her own. Curious, Jessica visits the sender, Gabriel, who shows Jessica an old photo album.
What did Jessica and Gabriel do to ensure Ben joins the tour?
Now, Jessica realizes that Gabriel’s grandmother, Miriam, and her grandmother, Raquel, were sisters. Before they can talk more, Gabriel’s girlfriend, Stephanie, kicks him out of the house during an argument. Outside, Gabriel plays with the locket, which opens when it falls on the road to reveal a photo of a third sister, Hava. Since Gabriel also doesn’t know who Hava is, they visit Gabriel’s mother, who reveals that Hava left the family to elope with Benjamin/Ben, even though she was engaged to someone else.
They moved to Israel and were estranged from the family. Shockingly, Jessica learns that Deborah, whom she believed to be Raquel’s daughter, was Hava’s. Overwhelmed, Jessica leaves, but she soon discovers a travel agency in Israel run by Ben and Hava. Motivated by the chance to learn the truth and a potential inheritance, Jessica invites Gabriel to travel with her.
Before leaving, Jessica steals an expensive piece of jewellery from the antique shop, leaving a note promising to return it. In Israel, they sign up for a tour with Ben and Hava’s agency, where the guide, Ramirez, informs them that the couple rarely joins trips unless something serious happens. At the beach, Jessica and Gabriel swim nude, even though it’s not a nude beach. It’s just to get in trouble.
The police are called, and Ben steps in to resolve the issue. Ben joins the tour. Now, Gabriel urges Jessica to tell Ben the truth about who she is. But before she can, Ben shares that Hava left after an argument. The reason is that Hava had grown restless, longing for the adventure-filled life they once had, while Ben had become content with routine. So, Gabriel and Jessica convince Ben to help find Hava, whose phone last pinged in Jerusalem. When Ben disagrees, Jessica convinces everyone to stop to watch the sunset.
What does Jessica learn about Hava in the desert?
During dinner, Gabriel reveals that Hava gave up everything—family and inheritance for Ben. Later, Ben collapses after Jessica secretly drugs him. So, Gabriel and Jessica carry Ben to a bus to Jerusalem. That night, after getting drunk, Jessica opens up about being abandoned in an orphanage by her father. In turn, Gabriel confesses his fear of loneliness and realizes that’s why he stayed with Stephanie. They almost kiss but pull back, realizing they are cousins.
The next morning, they wake up naked but learn from Ben that they simply passed out. Tracking Hava’s phone leads them to Hava’s friend Sara in a hospital. At the Wailing Wall, they make wishes. Meanwhile, Stephanie hears Gabriel’s drunken voicemails in which he mentions kissing his cousin, prompting her to confront the antique store owner about Jessica.
Both Stephanie and the store owner are looking for her. Jessica, Gabriel, and Ben head to Eilat, where they discover a cave-like structure in which they find a message in a bottle with Hava, Ben, and Deborah’s names on it, which were memories from when Deborah was a child. That night, Jessica again tries to tell Ben the truth, but he falls asleep.
Worried that he might die, Jessica asks about Hava’s past and learns that Hava was adopted. This means she and Gabriel aren’t blood-related, so they’re not cousins after all. They rush off to have sex, but a group of sheikhs on camels interrupts them. After a dip in the Red Sea, they attend a bar mitzvah where the rabbi is confused by Jessica and Gabriel’s intimacy. Gabriel assures him that Jessica’s grandmother was adopted.
Cheers to Life (Viva a Vida, 2025) Movie Ending Explained:
When Ben overhears, he grows suspicious. Later, Ben catches Jessica and Gabriel making out, prompting Jessica to reveal the truth that she is Deborah’s daughter. However, Ben rejects her. So, Gabriel comforts Jessica, reminding her that she needs Hava’s acceptance more than Ben’s. They realize that each stop on their journey corresponds to a memory from Hava and Ben’s lives.
In each spot, significant events have occurred. If they reach the destinations before Hava, then they may reconnect. In a flashback, we see that when Deborah wanted to study in Brazil and live with Raquel, Hava, and Ben disapproved and cut ties. Eventually, they find Hava. Jessica tells Hava who she is, and unlike Ben, Hava lovingly accepts Jessica.
Back at the hotel, the police wait to arrest Jessica for stealing the jewellery. So, Jessica admits she pawned it to fund the trip. Now, Hava pleads with the police and promises to pay, but they insist on following the procedure. Just then, Ben shows up on a motorbike, blocking the plane on which Jessica is being taken. Even Gabriel joins Ben, asking Ben for a backup plan. However, Ben reveals he has already paid for the jewellery and is waiting for a habeas corpus order. Right before take-off, the order comes through, and Jessica is released. In the final moments, Gabriel and Jessica kiss. Ben and Hava renew their marriage vows, rediscovering their adventurous spirit.
In the end, Jessica reunites with her estranged family and meets her real grandmother. Jessica and Gabriel also fall in love. Through this adventure, Gabriel also learnt what it is to stay with someone for love rather than for fear of being lonely. Jessica also learns to trust people, even though disappointments may come along the way. Ben and Hava renewing their marriage is significant as Ben had lost his zest for life, but because of Hava, Jessica, and Gabriel, he found himself again. Their marriage can once again become what it was, filled with adventure and unpredictability.
Cheers to Life (Viva a Vida, 2025) Review:
Cheers to Life offers a breezy, feel-good cinematic escape—an amiable blend of romance, adventure, and the gentle pull of self-discovery through the search for estranged family ties. Yet, its narrative unfolds with an almost excessive reliance on coincidence. The inciting incident—Jessica’s accidental discovery of a locket in her antique store—sets the tone for a plot driven more by convenience than organic development. While the film maintains a light-hearted charm, the ease with which challenges are resolved, especially during Jessica’s stint in Israel, diminishes any real sense of tension or growth.
Character development is similarly thin. Ben’s shift from scepticism to acceptance happens abruptly, and unfortunately, his arc is the most fleshed out among an otherwise underexplored ensemble. The comedic moments work best when played subtly, wisely steering clear of caricature, most notably avoiding overused stereotypes with the gay tour guide character. However, the central romance between Jessica and Gabriel feels more functional than earned, hinging on the convenient twist of Hava’s adoption. Supporting characters like Miriam are introduced with promise but left underdeveloped, missing opportunities for emotional depth.
In the end, Cheers to Life succeeds in delivering light, pleasant entertainment with occasional sparks of genuine humour and warmth. Still, its overly tidy plotting, shallow character arcs, and missed narrative potential make it feel more like a charming diversion than a lasting journey. It’s a film best enjoyed with tempered expectations—perfect for those seeking comfort over complexity.
