crowd vs. critic single take // EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE (2022)

Photo credits: IMDb.com

What do you do when everything in your life is dissatisfying everywhere you look?

For Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh), there’s little she loves about her life above the laundromat. For her husband Waymond (Ke Huy Quan), there’s little love left in the marriage he staked his whole life on. For their daughter Joy (Stephanie Hsu), there’s little in her life to inspire her namesake. Their days are filled with laundry, taxes, and family tension, all dipped in a glaze of aching malaise. But everything changes during a meeting with the IRS when a man who looks like Waymond—but acts nothing like him—warns Evelyn of a battle to save the multiverse only she can win. 

CROWD // Nothing is not weird about Everything Everywhere All at Once. Fanny pack kung fu? Hot dog fingers? Center-of-the-multiverse bagels? I swear I’m not just squishing random words together. Though comic book heroes have leaned into multiverses for some time, it’s not the stuff of movies that want awards or even ones that want to branch out beyond sci-fi genre tropes. Everything throws you into its complicated plotting and its (at times) puerile humor with little explanation, and it gives you precious few moments to catch your breath. I have watched it three times, and I still can’t explain everything back to you.

Everything can be indiscriminately loud for its own sake, but it also feels like the brain child of a cast and crew obsessed with finding afflatus in every moment, which is makes it hard not to give them credit even if they don’t always achieve it. (What does achieve it: Raccacoonie!) The movie cares equally about dazzling the audience with fun ideas and about creating a catharsis for its characters, which come together in the symbol of an everything bagel of all things. In the bagel: joy, pain, compassion, loneliness, loyalty, nihilism, choice, fate, pride, fear, and…googly eyes? It may be literalizing the Second Law of Thermodynamics, but if you're willing to go for the ride, you'll have a blast.

POPCORN POTENTIAL: 8.5/10

CRITIC // Nothing is weirder about Everything Everywhere All at Once than the fact that it won Best Picture—except maybe that it’s the third most-decorated Best Picture winner of the 21st century after The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (11 wins) and Slumdog Millionaire (8 wins). (2013’s Gravity didn’t win the top prize, but its seven wins are tied with Everything’s total.) Individually, its 11 nominations all make sense. Yeoh and Quan are undeniable, and Best Supporting Actress winner Jamie Lee Curtis is as delightful as ever. The script has no comparison in film history, the editing feels like watching a flawless Simone Biles routine, and good luck keeping track of all the changes in costumes and musical style. Somehow the Daniels directed it all into one package—that’s no easy feat!

If only the sum of Everything was as great as its parts. The line, “In another life, I would have really liked just doing laundry and taxes with you,” is one of the most romantic lines in modern cinema, but the film’s shambolic energy lacks the focus and maturity to fully develop its ideas or world building. Like the title suggests, this film cares more about quantity than quality.

ARTISTIC TASTE: 8.5/10

Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) Review

Doctor Strange WISHES he was everything everywhere all at once. But nope. That strange fella is NOTHING! He’s NOWHERE! He’s....what’s the opposite of ‘all at once’? Later? Dribs and drabs? Oh I dunno, you get what I mean. Multiverse shmultiverse!

Plot: An aging Chinese immigrant is swept up in an insane adventure, where she alone can save the world by exploring other universes connecting with the lives she could have led.

The only things I’ve watched prior to this of the directors’ Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (who collectively call themselves the Daniels) works was the 2016 Swiss Army Man that featured Paul Dano hanging out with Daniel Radcliffe’s farting corpse, and back then I should’ve expected that these two will not limit themselves there upon how much weirdness they can cram into one movie. So now we get A24′s Everything Everywhere All At Once, that brings us the real multiverse of madness, no shade towards Doctor Strange with the same name. Look, it’s difficult not to compare these two movies seeing as they both released so close to one another and happen to handle the concept of the multiversal theory. Oh, and there’s also that little factor of star Jamie Lee Curtis starting a social media feud against Doctor Strange showing that she is errr... very passionate about being part of Everything Everywhere All At Once. Throwing around comments how her film “out marvels any Marvel movie they put out there” or how Doctor Strange did a “copycat” poster, or comparing dick sizes, sorry, budget sizes of the two movies. “COMPETITIVE? Fuck YES. I wasn’t head cheerleader in high school for nothing” screams Curtis, and I’m not going to lie, I am living for her self proclaimed internet war against Marvel. Totally unnecessary but 100% entertaining. Anyway, my lovely fiancée brought my attention to Curtis’ vocal proclamations and we both agreed we should go see her “little MOVIE THAT COULD AND CAN AND IS CRUSHING the box office” and see if her words had much ground. And yes, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness left a bit of a sour taste in our mouths after seeing it, so we were hoping for some better multiversal mayhem.

To put it simply, Everything Everywhere All At Once is amazing! It’s difficult to talk about what its about, since the title is very accurate with the movie being this beautiful blend of ideas and genres. It’s a science fiction, a black comedy, a drama, a fantasy, a martial arts film, a family film, absurdism and even an animation at one point. It’s got moments of real emotion, like truly some scenes at the end really got to me and I didn’t tear, but gosh was I close. It’s also really funny, but it’s the kind of humour I was shocked to see in a film. You know when you’re with your mates and you talk hypotheticals or outlandish scenarios that you find absolutely hysterical but then if some stranger heard you they’d think you were a total wacko. Well this movie is filled with those kind of ridiculous moments and concepts and that was a cause for some very solid comedy. Not the laugh-out-loud kind of humour, but the kind where you’re like “WHAT??” and “did they actually just do that??”. I’m not gonna spoil any of these moments, but I’m just gonna say hot dogs and Ratatouille. Once you see this film and see it you should, you will know what I am referring to.

For all its wackiness and bizarreness, this movie at its heart is filled with thought-provoking, emotionally resonant themes about family, existentialism and the role we play in the universe, let alone the multiverse. The idea of acceptance and staying true to who you are and not having regrets for the choices you’ve made, will make, or have not made, at the end of the day you are you, I am I, he is he and honestly I’ve lost my train of thought. I don’t know where I was going with this. Regardless, this movie gives you the feels and it gives you the thoughts. However bringing it back to the multiversal concept, the film does something truly unique and original with that idea. Instead of simply having the main character Evelyn (played superbly by Michelle Yeoh by the way) jump from one reality to another and doing whatever she wants, the entire idea here is that you can not necessarily go into a different universe, but you can’t connect with your alternate self and develop skills from that alter-ego to then use in your own reality. Naturally the more alternate selves you meld with the more reality begins to distort and you begin questioning which reality was the original one, but I must say this take on the multiverse, though I still have a few questions on certain technicalities, was a very cathartic experience to watch. But what adds to the brilliance is that even though we get a lot of multiversal madness and randomness, it all still managed to connect to the movie’s central themes. Even the most weirdest oddities still in some capacity build up towards the overall story and its characters. Its both disorganised yet so interconnected and to the point. 

Everything Everywhere All At Once is a wildly original feature filled to the brim with unique visual gags, and its truly one of the more unrepeatably eccentric films to come in cinemas this year. I forgot to even mention the cast, they are all great. Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, James Hong, Stephanie Hsu and Jamie Lee Curtis all do their part. Heck even Jenny Slate who I usually find annoying is used to good use here. This movie is sensational and the only knit pick I have is that the first 30 minutes are hard to get through. It’s a lot of fast talking and very sporadic and I was confused for a good ol’ while but then once I got onto the movie’s eccentric level I bought into it fully. I’m sure once I re-watch it I’ll be able to enjoy even those first 30 minutes. But nothing is disputing the fact Everything Everywhere All At Once is remarkably unique and entertaining. And hell, I may just absolutely love it. Yet in a different universe I probably hate it. In another one I haven’t even seen it. In another universe I simply don’t exist. In another, the universe isn’t even a thing and gosh golly I feel I am experiencing EXISTENTIALISM!!! 

Overall score: 8/10

Holy fucking shit. This is a film that has to be seen to be believed. Perfect, an utter masterpiece, I completely understand why it is rated so high.

The dialog is well-written, the acting is impeccable, the characters are very believable and interesting, and the plot is incredibly compelling. Beyond that, most scenes feel either tragic, hilarious, or horrifying and yet are all compelling either way. And don't get me started on the message, the underlying conflict of the film.

I don't want to spoil anything, so let me just say that I cried both tears of joy and tears of sadness, and that is something very rare for me.

Go watch this film, preferably in a crowded theater. You will never regret it.

Everything Everywhere All at Once review: A Mind-Bending Cinematic Journey 2023 - retoreview

Introduction: "Everything Everywhere All at Once" is an awe-inspiring cinematic gem that transports viewers on an unforgettable j...

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Everything Everywhere All At Once

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“Everything Everywhere All At Once” received eleven Oscar nominations: Best Original Screenplay, Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score), Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song), Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Achievement in Directing, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Achievement in Film Editing

When an interdimensional rupture unravels reality, an unlikely hero must channel her newfound powers to fight bewildering dangers from the multiverse, as the fate of everything hangs in the balance.

Released: 2022-03-24

Genre Science Fiction, Action, Fantasy, Comedy, Adventure

Casts: James Hong, Jenny Slate, Michelle Yeoh, Peter Banifaz, Sunita Mani, Anthony Molinari, Michiko Nishiwaki, Efka Kvaraciejus, Harry Shum Jr., Li Jing, Audrey Wasilewski, Biff Wiff, Boon Pin Koh, Andy Le, Tallie Medel, Jonathan Ke Quan, Craig Henningsen, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dylan Henry Lau, Timothy Eulich, Randall Archer, Panuvat Anthony Nanakornpanom, Brian Le, Stephanie Hsu, Aaron Lazar, Chelsey Goldsmith, Jane Lui, Hiroshi Yada, Cara Marie Chooljian, Jason Hamer, Daniel Scheinert, Neravana Cabral, Timothy Ralston

Duration: 139m

Country: United States of America

Production: AGBO, Ley Line Entertainment, IAC Films, A24, Year of the Rat Productions

Everything, Everywhere All At Once (2022) review:

THE BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR SO FAR?

review by: francis

I knew this movie would be good from seeing reviews and reactions on social media. I was so excited to watch and find out what all the fuss is all about. But I didn’t expect to be bawling my eyes too. The movie was both hilarious and emotional.

EVERYTHING.

Everything about this movie was absolutely wonderful. It started as a little indie-like movie introducing as to the characters then shit happens and everything goes CRAZY!

I love the multiverse concept here though I’m still having a little problem understanding some lore/stuff about it in the movie but I love it! The movie handled the multiverse concept so much better than Doctor Strange 2.

All the characters were great. I enjoyed seeing them all shine in the movie and Michelle was just fantastic with her performance. The villain was great and relatable too. Not a single character was wasted in the movie and even side and background ones shine too?

The action sequences were great; the Kungfu, martial arts in this were really fun to look at and I enjoyed them so much. I didn’t expect them to be good.

But the emotional journey of the main character and the story were beautiful. Great character development in the end and I didn’t expect to be crying a lot too.

EVERYWHERE.

The comedy and fun stuff about this movie are everywhere! Man… I didn’t expect to be laughing so much throughout the movie ‘cause the absurdity were everywhere and it’s hilarious. They were really silly but absolutely appropriate and it doesn’t feel cringe nor out of place. The hotdog hands, those rocks with googly eyes, exploding head with confetti was really funny. PEAK COMEDY right there!

ALL AT ONCE:

Overall, all at once, all I can say is that this movie is my favorite of the year so far. It’s currently number 1 right now. What a movie with a perfect mixture of comedy and drama.

I’ll rate “Everything, Everywhere All at Once” a 5/5 🔥

This is yet another A24 movie that is sparkling and fueling my creativity to the next level! Their movies were such a big help for my learning and development of my journey as an aspiring film director. I have learned a lot from them. Thanks to them as well that I found out what kind of movies I want to make in the future.

Movie Info:

Rating: R

Genre: Sci-Fi, Drama, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy

Directed By: Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert

Release Date: April 8, 2022

Watch the trailer here!

LOUSOLVERSON’S REVIEW OF 2022 Best Film - Everything Everywhere All At Once, Dir. Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert

2023 - A YEAR IN REVIEW

I was reading reviews about how everything everywhere all at once was incredible and how it makes you cry because of a rock with googly eyes and I thought to myself that I was the one who was going to prove this theory wrong. That I will watch it and not be impacted by it.

Let me tell how incredibly horrendously astronomically wrong I was, because I sobbed like a tiny baby

Even more so I hugged my mom and I cried with the sudden realization of time and that in any universe I will take the one I am in now, whatever specks of time it affords

The bloody googly eyes rock and sweet sweet Waymond, I couldn't finish it without crying and in the end I felt like my mind was understood but I was also calmed by it.

That I can have everything be everywhere, all at once. Because that means I'm living in the present for it to happen. I saw the movie at the right time and I want it so badly to win best picture because no other movie in the last year can compare to the sheer chaos and art and understanding it made me feel in two and half hours.

A movie of a lifetime 👀

rip abed nadir, you would’ve loved everything everywhere all at once

I put together a list of my fave movies so feel free to judge me

1. American Psycho

I think it's a funny, clever, and way ahead of its time movie that has a very clear stance that people just. Somehow miss. It's such raw satire that it makes every minute enjoyable, also Christian Bale does Patrick so perfectly. I'm LITERALLY him

2. Everything Everywhere All At Once

A movie that perfectly balances deep, meaningful themes and humor, making it such amazing rewatch material bc of the level of detail and foreshadowing in every frame. It made me cry and laugh and the themes of human failure is amazing

3. Wristcutters: A Love Story

While I don't think it's a GOOD movie, I think it is entertaining, heartfelt, and relatable. It perfectly represents how mentally ill people often feel about themselves and the world around them, and how life doesn't need a meaning or a miracle.

4. American Ultra

THE FIGHT SCENES??? THE HUMOR??? ALL THE ACTION AND ART DIRECTION AND JESSE EISENBURG????? IM COLLAPSED I LOVE THIS MOVIE SM

5. Hot Fuzz

I fucking love all the Simon Pegg movies but this one especially. The attention to detail, tone, humor, character development, just EVERYTHING makes it an amazing movie to watch 100000 times over

Gurl just ✨SCRUM DILLY YUM YUM A PURR PURRR ✨

The bagel and the googly eye are two major symbols of this film. Not only is it a surprisingly apt and humorous take on yin and yang, but in the same stroke it explores concepts central to Buddhist philosophy. To boil down more than 2,000 years of Buddhist discourse – it is thought that all things exist only through our perception of said things. Therefore, they are without inherent meaning. They’re empty.

...

Through the googly-eyed lens, we gain the power to control our infinite emptiness. Waymond (Ke Huy Quan), the dorky husband of Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh), reminds her through simple kindness that there is value where you want to create it and meaning where you choose to see it. In Buddhist thought, it’s our compassion that grounds us – makes us human – and emptiness isn’t the mark of nihilism and despair but an opportunity to leave behind the bad and cherish the good.

My favorite films of 2022

Aftersun

The Banshees Of Inishirin

Please Baby Please

Bones And All

After Yang

Everything Everywhere All At once

Nope

Decision To Leave

Top Gun Maverick

RRR

Cha Cha Real Smooth

Marcel The Shell With Shoes On

Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio

Ambulance

Barbarian

Good Luck To You Leo Grande

Official Competition

Crimes Of The Future

Jackass Forever

Pearl

Letterboxd : My Four Favorites

I am a fan of Letterboxd's Four Favorites and these are my top favorite movies of all the time. These four actually showed how some movies with a simple plot can be fun to watch.

Cinema Paradiso: An Italian movie that talks about a young boy's love towards movies. This movie showed me how a small act of kindness would change a child's perspective about life.

Everything Everywhere All At Once: It's the movie for the eldest daughters with generational trauma.

The Nice Guys: I was never a fan of American Comedy. Although this movie changed my mind and the comedic timing of Ryan Gosling felt so natural. I could watch this over hundred times and I will still laugh at the scene where they drop a RDJ's dead body to a wedding dinner table.

Whisper of the heart: I saw myself in Shizuku who travelled between the worlds of reality and fantasy. Plus, the cat was a whole mood.