This movie confused and still confuses me. The concept is entirely out of the box and is like nothing you’ve ever seen. It felt like those shoddy, low-budget movies where the producers have tried to scrimp on everything, especially talent.
Regardless, it is a great low-budget movie.
Everything Everywhere All at Once provides another take on the multiverse. It follows the story of a woman, Evelyn, who is as ordinary as ordinary can get. However, in an alternate universe, she is one of the most extraordinary persons ever. Unfortunately, this version of her created a seemingly undefeatable monster.
After killing her (Evelyn’s extraordinary version), the monster turns her attention to the multiverse and seeks to destroy it. The only person standing in her way is… you guessed it, ordinary Evelyn. Ironic, right?
Along the line of this quest, there are many hilarious moments. Also, it has many profound moments that get you to think – about family dysfunction, contentment, kindness, and finding and making happiness in whatever situation you find yourself in. It is also quite emotional, and I found myself almost crying in certain scenes.
As we’ve come to expect of her, Michelle Yeoh gives an enthralling performance. However, I cannot say the same for the supporting cast. For example, even though he portrayed his other versions magnificently, I felt Ke Huy Quan could have performed better as Evelyn’s husband in the primary timeline. (By the way, am I the only one who thinks he has a striking resemblance to Jackie Chan?) Also, the daughter’s performance felt wooden in certain situations, which threw me off.
The movie did not hold back with its use of colors. While this was exhilarating for the most part, it sometimes felt too much and was a distraction. Kudos to the team, though, they essentially made the movie work, and it was a mostly enjoyable watch.
However, it is nowhere as enjoyable as most people will have you believe. I am pretty surprised at the hype that surrounds the movie – most people are touting it as the best thing since Edison invented the light bulb. In my opinion, most people are doing this to be part of the hype train. They didn’t enjoy it as much as they tout.
But then, opinions differ, and I’ll be the first to admit that it is possible people truly enjoyed it, and their excitement is not a performance.
Everything Everywhere All at Once is like going on a psychedelic journey. At the same time, it is a lesson on being better humans. With its concept, the movie would always be hard to pull off. And if they were other directors, it might have been a disaster. However, despite its flaws, the “Daniels” made something beautiful and worth watching.
