EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
It’s only April but I’m pretty sure I already found my favorite movie of 2022: EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE (trailer here). Directed by the Daniels (the duo of Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert) in their sophomore feature, and starring Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, and Jamie Lee Curtis; this dazzling and kaleidoscopic film is at once over-the-top but also grounded. It’s laugh-your-pants-off hilarious but also deeply emotional.
It follows Evelyn, an exhausted Chinese-American woman who’s dealing with a lot—an elderly father who’s hard to please, a daughter who’s angry because Evelyn won’t publicly acknowledge her girlfriend, and a sweet husband who is hurt by their strained relationship—all the while as she prepares to be audited by the IRS for not filing taxes correctly. But Evelyn’s life is about to take another path, because as when she walks into the IRS building, her husband suddenly “transforms” into her husband from another reality, telling her that this current version of her belongs to a countless collection of Evelyns across the vast multiverse. And even wilder? She must tap into the emotions and skills of all the Evelyns from the other realities to save herself and defeat a looming dark force that is now onto her.
The film offers so much beyond the subversive high-concept that explores the multiverse—at the core of it all, this is a touching story exploring family, generational love, and finding your voice at any age. It’s also filled with stunning action sequences that pays homage to video-game aesthetics, classic Kung Fu films, and OG multiverse stories like THE MATRIX—all with a touch of the Daniels' signature absurdism. And I would be remiss not to bring up the masterful and iconic performance of Michelle Yeoh, who brings so much grace, grit, and humor to her role.
Just go watch it. Now.
—Mimi Li, Development Assistant
