Everything Everywhere All at Once
Synopsis
In a nice change of pace, the multiverse is depicted in a non-superhero setting in The Daniels’ Everything Everywhere All at Once. The film centers around Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh), a middle-aged and dissatisfied laundromat owner who once had many aspirational dreams that ultimately went unfulfilled. Her obliviously optimistic husband, Waymond (Ke Huy Quan), and stubborn daughter, Eleanor (Stephanie Hsu), only give Evelyn more stress than relief. However, Evelyn’s life takes a turn for the bizarre the day she’s contacted by an inter-dimensional band of resistance fighters – led by an alternate dimensional version of her husband – who claims she’s the only one who can defeat an evil threatening all of existence. In order to do so, she’ll have to draw on the powers of alternate versions of herself who took different – and often more interesting – paths in life. It’s up to Evelyn to figure out how to use this power for good without falling into a rabbit hole of alternate, better versions of her life.
Analysis
The movie tackles the idea of overcoming one’s obsession with “What could’ve been?” in an interesting way. To start, Evelyn is someone who many people can relate to; she’s a person who feels they took every wrong step in life, and they project their disappointment onto their relationships. So once Evelyn’s given the ability to step into the shoes of “better” versions of herself, she’s able to indulge in the fantasy of having lived much more interesting lives. While for a time she wields this power to fight the film’s big bad, the movie shows why such an “escapist” mentality can lead to one becoming indifferent towards their own existence. This idea is reflected in the villain’s philosophy: if life is just a sequence of random steps one takes, with each step branching off into an infinite number of alternate realities, how “special” can one’s life be if it’s just one of many possible outcomes? In response, the movie argues that what grounds us in the present – and consequently what reminds us that this life does matter – is the people in our lives who love us and demonstrate it in their actions. And those who love us are able to have a big impact because their love comes from a deep level of understanding. So, in the eyes of the film, truly understanding the people in our lives and being both a giver and recipient of love is the best way to keep us all tied to the here and now.
On a more surface level, I really enjoyed the stupendous wrapper the movie packages its message in. For one, the film’s paced in such a way that it feels like you’re on a rollercoaster from start to finish. It doesn’t give its audience much time to breathe before jumping into the next scene or revealing another ludicrous concept. Characters always seem to be in a rush in terms of how they talk and act. Additionally, the camera moves from one part of a scene to the next so quickly that you’re bound to get some whiplash. Secondly, this wrapper features a chaotically beautiful blend of genres to keep the audience enthralled. The blend of family drama, sci-fi epic, martial arts flick, and absurdist/screwball comedy increases viewer engagement by turning the central conflict into a visceral experience. This makes the dramatic weight of the central conflict easier to grab on to, plus the addition of novel elements elevates each incorporated genre. The movie also has an awesome dynamic visual style and score that will surely fry your eyes and ears – but in a good way.
What prevents the film from getting too “out there” is how well Evelyn is written and portrayed. A key reason Evelyn works so well is that she’s very ordinary. She faces normal issues like being past her prime and feeling discontent with life. While her being self-absorbed, stubborn, and sometimes cowardly certainly isn’t enviable, these are still easily relatable qualities. And though she goes through a lot of personal growth throughout the film, Evelyn still makes plenty of mistakes along the way. So her character arc – despite being absolutely insane – ends up feeling authentic because of how deeply flawed she is. This makes it much easier for the movie’s message to resonate with us too, because Evelyn’s no more extraordinary than we are. And while Evelyn may be strong on paper, Michelle Yeoh’s performance ultimately sells the character. Her channeling of Evelyn’s neuroticism and unintentionally harsh nature comes across as natural instead of forced. At the same time, the shades of vulnerability and sincerity in Yeoh’s performance make the viewer empathize with her – as well as occasionally laugh. And while watching Yeoh’s depictions of the “alternate Evelyns” is very enjoyable, it’s incredible to see the change in Yeoh’s physicality after Evelyn adopts the traits of another Evelyn(s) during a fight.
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The only aspect of the film I have conflicting thoughts on is the ending. The finale sees Evelyn adopting the perfect strategy to save the day, mending all of her strained familial relationships and at last becoming content with her life. While a happy ending may be earned, I think the film’s complex subject matter doesn’t lend to a clean-cut conclusion. Some people have made such drastic mistakes in life that there unfortunately isn’t much to be happy about. Additionally, some don’t have the necessary personal relationships that allow them to be content with their lives. All that being said, these flaws don’t detract from the ethos of the film’s message, and for me, there isn’t a “better ending” that immediately comes to mind.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, Everything Everywhere All at Once is a fantastic example of an awesome WTF movie. It has a message that’s easy to get on board with, enclosed within an insane story and led by a stellar Michelle Yeoh. Its ending may not carry much nuance, but then again, nuance isn’t exactly what this film is going for. So until the next multiverse-centered movie comes along – which is surprisingly a matter of weeks – this will definitely hold you over and then some.