EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE REVIEW

 *MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

In 2016, writers/directors, Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan, known as the “Daniels”, made one of the most unforgettable films with Swiss Army Man, which starred Paul Dano as a lonely and suicidal man trapped on a secluded island who forms a strange friendship with a farting corpse played by Daniel Radcliffe. Whilst there were those who found beauty in the Daniels’ surreal film, others weren’t amused by the crude humour. Although I didn’t love it, I still found Swiss Army Man to be a mostly fascinating watch with Dano and Radcliffe impressing with their performances. Now, with their latest film, Everything Everywhere All At Once, they continue to establish themselves as two of the most interesting and creative filmmakers working today. Those complaining about lack of original films available in cinemas, which are currently filled with the latest superhero film, sequels and remakes, will find Everything Everywhere All At Once to be a refreshing watch as it’s unlike any other film that’s ever been released as it explores unique ideas. 

When an interdimensional rupture unravels reality, an unlikely hero, Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh), must channel her newfound powers to fight bizarre and bewildering dangers from the multiverse as the fate of the world hangs in the balance.

Since its world premiere at the South by Southwest film festival earlier this year, Everything Everywhere All At Once has been lauded by critics, with the majority of them saying that it “lives up to its title with an expertly calibrated assault on the senses”. I couldn’t agree more as the latest film, written and directed by the filmmaking duo known as the Daniels, is strange and surreal but it’s also really funny and surprisingly moving at times. The premise is simple, as it basically focuses on a mother trying to repair her troubled relationship with her daughter, Joy (Stephanie Hsu), however, the Daniels’ execution is far from it as Everything Everywhere All At Once is filled with surprising twists, heartfelt character development and amusing jokes, making for a wildly entertaining watch. While there will be some people who find the film too bizarre for their liking, I can’t imagine anyone describing Everything Everywhere All At Once as boring. Although it may seem like cinemas are lacking original films due to them being filled with the latest superhero film (in this case it’s Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness), and sequels, however, Everything Everywhere All At Once is, by far, one of the most unique and interesting films to be released recently. While Everything Everywhere All At Once does share similarities with the latest Doctor Strange sequel, as they both explore the idea of a multiverse, the former is undoubtedly the more impressive as the Daniels care more about telling a meaningful story and developing its characters and their relationships, rather than relying on special effects and over the top action sequences like the latter does. Although it’s mostly a fantasy based comedy, Everything Everywhere All At Once feels more realistic and Yeoh’s Evelyn is more relatable than Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange as she deals with everyday life issues such as a troubled relationship with her daughter, an uninterested husband, Waymond (Ke Huy Quan), an ageing father, Gong Gong (James Hong) and a grumpy IRS agent, Deirdre Beaubeirdra (Jamie Lee Curtis). It’s during an important meeting with Deirdre that Evelyn discovers that everything isn’t what it seems and she soon finds herself on a wild adventure in the multiverse when a different version of her husband, Waymond, arrives and informs her that the universe is in danger and needs her help. 

Everything Everywhere All At Once features a talented cast, including Ke Huy Quan (best known as Data from The Goonies and Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom), Stephanie Hsu and Jamie Lee Curtis who each provide memorable supporting roles, however, it’s Michelle Yeoh who stands out with her powerful performance as Evelyn. There’s no denying that Yeoh is one of the greatest actors as she’s appeared in a wide range of films from the action packed 1997 James Bond film, Tomorrow Never Dies, alongside Pierce Brosnan, Ang Lee’s Oscar winning martial arts based romantic drama, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and the romantic comedies, Crazy Rich Asians and Last Christmas. She even made her first appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in last year’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Howver, Yeoh’s role as Evelyn represents one of her most memorable. In the beginning, Evelyn is an originate woman living a simple life but she is soon involved in an extraordinary and surreal adventure. While Evelyn is far from a perfect individual, as she struggles to accept her daughter’s sexuality, she is an easy character to root for as she means well and that’s mainly because of Yeoh’s commanding performance.  

With films like Everything Everywhere All At Once, I think that it’s best going in knowing little about it as knowing all of the amusing jokes and surprises will ruin the overall enjoyment. Because I avoided a lot of spoilers for Everything Everywhere All At Once, I was pleasantly surprised and, despite the extraordinary positive reception surrounding it, I wasn’t disappointed. 

9/10