Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

Directors: Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert

Starring: Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ke Huy Quan

A middle-aged Chinese immigrant is swept up into an insane adventure in which she alone can save existence by exploring other universes and connecting with the lives she could have led.

Oh, wow, where do I even begin with this movie? When have I ever seen a movie where every single scene surprised me, and almost every scene had some sort of shock factor. ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ is not just a movie; it is a cinematic experience!

Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh) owns a Laundromat. She lives with her husband, Waymond (Ke Huy Qua) (who wants to divorce her), her Father, Gong Gong (James Hong) (who is very sick), and her daughter, Joy (Stephanie Hsu) (who is in a lesbian relationship). On her way to tax inspector Deirdre (Jamie Lee Curtis – like you’ve never seen her before!), Evelyn’s life is about to change. In the blink of an eye, her normal existence spins out of control and she finds herself in an alternate universe, being called upon to save the multiverse.

If you thought ‘The Matrix’ was complex and confusing, just wait until you see ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’. The difference with ‘Everything…’ lies in its presentation. This film is so incredibly unpredictable and every scene is absolutely magnificent! The stunt choreography is jaw-dropping. The visuals are mind-blowing. The costumes are amazing. The editing is inane!!! Editing this film to obtain the desired effect must have been an absolute nightmare. But it looks STUNNING on screen.

As Evelyn jumps through the multiverse – referred to as Verse Jump – she encounters characters out to eliminate her, and in the process she must protect those she loves. The fact she can’t trust anyone – not even her own family – makes her task a daunting one, to say the least. The film’s antagonist is Jobu Tupaki (who is Joy in another universe), who could destroy the entire multiverse with a black hole she created.

There honestly was not a single dull moment here. This film surprised me every step of the way. Never before have I seen a film with so much going on – non-stop – and entertained me every single second. There’s some really funny humour here, and then also a dose of slapstick. But the presentation was so astonishing that the slapstick didn’t bother me as it generally would. The funniest thing by far, was the fight scene with huge dildos, and the butt plugs!!!! Absolutely hilarious!! The ‘talking rocks’ scene was just as funny, but also thought-provoking.

I’ll admit, I didn’t understand everything here, but hell, from an entertainment perspective, I was so entertained that it didn’t matter. I will no doubt be watching this again several times, and I’m sure it will make more sense with every repeat viewing. I was completely and utterly enthralled by ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’; I was glued to the screen for its entire running time.

‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ received an incredible 651 award nominations (at the time of writing this review), winning 260 (so far). The film received 11 Oscar nominations (Best Original Screenplay, Best Music, Best Original Song, Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Directing, Best Lead Actress, Best Supporting Actress – for Stephanie Hsu AND Jamie Lee Curtis -, Best Supporting Actor, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing). The film earned nearly $107 million on a $25 million budget. How did they even manage to accomplish this film on such a small budget??

Would I watch it again? Yes, absolutely!