The Big Picture – ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’

Graphic created in Canva by Dominique Williams and Gavin S. Hudson. Movie posters courtesy of A24.

Gavin Hudson
January 21, 2023

Disclaimer: Light spoilers for the film are included in this review.

With the Lunar New Year starting tomorrow and award season in full swing, it’s only right to discuss the 2022 cult classic, “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” Not only has the film gained a substantially large fanbase but it’s taking award season by storm. 

Written and directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, known collectively as ‘Daniels,’ the narrative explores the unlimited possibilities presented in the concept of the multiverse. Michelle Yeoh plays Evelyn Wang, a mother and Chinese immigrant whose life has been plagued with missed opportunities and tension with her family members. 

It’s almost impossible to describe this movie; it’s a sci-fi action/adventure film with a suicide allegory and a multiversal bagel black hole. I love it! 

At heart, the film is wildly creative with its visuals and emphatically heartfelt with its character development. Even through the absurdity it occasionally displays, the emotional weight of the narrative between Evelyn and her daughter Joy, played by Stephanie Hsu, still tugs at my heartstrings. 

As the award shows recognized, this movie boasts some incredible performances. Michelle Yeoh’s range in emotional and physical versatility has to be acknowledged and Ke Huy Quan’s return to the big screen is momentous with him showing a similar range while portraying Evelyn’s husband Waymond, a near hopeless optimist. 

Evelyn Wang, portrayed by Michelle Yeoh, experiences the infinite versions of herself through the multiverse during “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” The narrative follows Evelyn Wang as she tries to navigate the tensions in her family while multiversal forces close in. (Gif courtesy of A24 via Giphy.) via GIPHY

Evelyn Wang, portrayed by Michelle Yeoh, experiences the infinite versions of herself through the multiverse during “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” The narrative follows Evelyn Wang as she tries to navigate the tensions in her family while multiversal forces close in. (Gif courtesy of A24 via Giphy.)

Even Jamie Lee Curtis does an incredible job and you can tell she had fun with the role just by the way she gets so engaged in it. 

My favorite performance in the entire film has to be Stephanie Hsu. Her character undergoes such dramatic changes throughout the film and she plays the role of both the villain and daughter with such a fun charisma or such an authentic pain that resonated with me the most. 

Stephanie Hsu as Evelyn’s daughter Joy, better known as the multiversal boogieman Jobu Tupaki, causing an altercation with a security guard in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” She possesses the unique ability to experience the emotions of her other multiversal selves. (Picture courtesy of A24. Pictures via IMDB.)

My favorite detail in film would be the constantly changing aspect ratio. The black bars that act as the border to the scene adapt to each scenario the characters are in and helps create this drastic dichotomy between sequences. 

Andy and Brian Le both star in and helped choreograph the fight sequences and deserve to be mentioned. The scenes they worked on are thoroughly fun and engaging and clearly draw influence from a long line of Kung-Fu films. 

I genuinely have nothing bad to say about this movie, though that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. I would’ve liked to see more villany from the antagonists to truly drive home the development of the character but the arc still feels complete from Evelyn’s point of view. 

Between the over-the-top action and the extraordinarily heartwarming ending, the rollercoaster the Daniels take you on is spectacular from start to finish. I’m just adding to the flurry of praise this movie is getting but it truly deserves it. “Everything Everywhere All at Once” gets a strong 9/10 from me. 

Evelyn Wang experiencing the infinite versions of herself through the multiverse in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” Evelyn, played by Michelle Yeoh, jumps through many versions of herself throughout the film, including herself as a rock. (Gif courtesy of A24 via Giphy.) via GIPHY

(Gif Caption) Evelyn Wang experiencing the infinite versions of herself through the multiverse in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” Evelyn, played by Michelle Yeoh, jumps through many versions of herself throughout the film, including herself as a rock. (Gif courtesy of A24 via Giphy.)