2022 ‧ Sci-fi/Adventure/Black Comedy/WTF ‧ 139m
Before we get into it, a quick disclaimer. I went into this pretty blind. I only knew that Michelle Yeoh was in it and it had something to do with parallel universes. That might be the best way to go into this film. I have my nits to pick with it of course, but ultimately I am glad I live in the universe where this film exists. I recommend you buy the ticket and take the ride.
Stop here if you don’t want too much more. Otherwise, I’m going to dig in.
The latest film from Daniels (Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert) is about Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yoeh), a woman with a tax problem. She runs a laundromat with her husband Waymond (Ke Huy Quan). They are immigrants with a grown American born daughter, Joy (Stephanie Hsu). Evelyn’s father (James Hong) is visiting and they have planned a party after their meeting with an IRS auditor (Jamie Lee Curtis). While in the elevator on the way to the appointment, Evelyn’s husband suddenly changes personality and informs Evelyn that there are parallel universes. These universes are the ones where different choices were made, thus altering her life. She’s a singer in one, an actress in another, for example. We eventually learn that Waymond is part of a team of people fighting Jobu Tupaki, who wants to destroy the multiverse. Evelyn may be the only hope to save it.
Yes, this does sound familiar. At this time, I have not seen Spider-man: No Way Home, Wanda Vision, or for that matter more than one episode of Ricky and Morty. Even though I haven’t seen those, I already felt that the multiverse idea was played out. The “chosen one” even more so. This would hurt the film more if the directors did not embrace the absurdity of the concept and thus creating a new and atypical experience. Though usually imaginative, entertaining, and funny- there are some directorial decisions about the universes that come off like something a 12 year old boy on a playground would come up with: hotdog fingers, a black hole everything bagel, and a version of Ratatouille with a racoon instead of a rat. I have not seen Daniels’ Swiss Army Man, a cult hit on its own, but having read the synopsis I can confidently say Everything Everywhere All at Once is a more mature film. As juvenile as it is at times.
The main three actors, Yoeh, Quan, and Hsu, are probably the best ingredients of this film. They play various versions of their characters so effectively and seamlessly it’s a marvel they pull it off. Michelle Yoeh should be remembered come awards season. Curtis and Hong are great additions, enjoying the absurdity and giving just the right amount of seriousness. Somehow this beats Hong’s other notably bonkers film Big Trouble in Little China in craziness. The film’s editing and direction sets a manic, if attention deficit, pace. There are all sorts of things for film buffs to love, from Matrix and Marvel-esque fight sequences to a universe seemingly directed by Wong Kar-wai. At times it might be a little too much, but it really fits what Evelyn is going through. It is possible that the Daniels are making a comment on the expectations placed upon women in society, but I am not sure it gets quite to a real statement.
Without getting too revealing, the heart of the film is about the relationship between Evelyn and Joy. Something perhaps unfair that I brought to Everything Everywhere All at Once was recent viewings of two other films about mothers and daughters: Turning Red and Grey Gardens. These are very different mother/daughter relationships, but it still colored my viewing of Joy and Evelyn’s. We always bring the other films we’ve seen to the next film, no matter how hard we try to be objective. I found Daniels’ film to be missing something, this could have easily been a father/son relationship instead. Still a parental relationship, yes, but still very different. I suppose this is written by two sons, after all. Though, were this a father/son film, it would probably be a lower/mid-tier Nic Cage movie. These criticisms aside, there are so very few films like this that it is worth checking out. I can’t decide if I would pair this with Hausu, Head, or Gremlins 2: The New Batch.
Everything Everywhere All at Once takes two tired concepts, multiverses and chosen ones, and makes something inventive with its imaginative absurdity and truly next-level performances. It is not the most mature film you will see this year, but you will be hard pressed to experience something as unique.
Grade: B+
~Andrew