Everything Everywhere All at Once [Spoiler Free Review]
Talking A24's newest release, film maximalism, the MULTIVERSE, and a monthly release radar!
Sometimes a piece of art comes along at the exact moment you most need to see it. Everything Everywhere All At Once was one such movie for me.
A24’s recently released movie depicts an aging Chinese immigrant (Michelle Yeoh) 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.
This is film maximalism at its finest. This movie is big. It’s loud. It’s in your face. It’s unapologetic in its audacity. It’s exactly what the title implies, throwing everything it can at you every moment, both visually and emotionally.
The result? A movie that left me howling with laughter throughout and holding back sobs for the last 30 minutes. I’ve never had as profound an emotional response to a movie as this one.
Everything Everywhere All At Once is a movie about the multiverse, the idea that there are infinite universes aside our own comprising every possible reality. Within the multiverse, there’s a universe where you may be the President, where Earth never existed, where we have 6 fingers instead of 5. Hell, there may even be one where this newsletter is actually good (although that might be stretching it too far).
The idea has existed in science fiction for ages, popularized decades ago by comic books and now coming back to the public eye with superhero movies like Sony’s Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), Marvel’s Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness (2022), and DC’s The Flash (2023).
It’s clear that Everything Everywhere All At Once has beaten those movies to the punch, crafting a profound multiverse story that will be tough to beat.
This is a movie that analyzes the most interesting component of a multiverse: What would our lives look like if we had made just one slightly different decision? Would this knowledge fill us with regret, make us bemoan every mistake we made? Or would it liberate us? Teaching us about the infinite capabilities we have within us?
Without getting into too much detail, the movie uses this elemental question to explore so much more. It beautifully captures the feeling of being overwhelmed with life, of relationships with immigrant parents, of intergenerational trauma, of loving and forgiving yourself, of guilt and regrets, of being vulnerable to a harsh world and fighting for survival, and most importantly, of finding meaning in chaos.
After all, in a world of infinite realities, nothing really matters. But if nothing really matters, then we get to pick what matters most to us.
Maybe this is recency bias, but I have a strong belief that this movie will be up there as one of my favorites of all time. Philosophical yet preposterous, I simply cannot wait to watch it again (and again and again). I cannot recommend this movie more.
Rating: 9.5/10
Release Radar:
Here are some releases in theaters that I’m itching to see/have recently seen!
X: A 70s-set slasher movie that oozes style in every sense of the word. And featuring Scott Mescudi (Kid Cudi)! I’m not one for horror movies but this was so much fun. In theaters now.
Everything Everywhere All At Once: Duh. In theaters now.
RRR: A Telugu movie, this movie depicts two legendary revolutionaries who fight for India in the 1920's. I haven’t seen it yet, but I’ve heard this movie is spectacle at its finest, enormous in heart and a roaring good time. In theaters across the country now.
Ambulance: Michael Bay’s newest piece of mayhem (Bayhem?), Ambulance depicts two robbers who steal an ambulance after their heist goes awry. For fans of unadulterated action and thrill, this should be on your radar. In theaters now.
The Northman: Robert Eggers’ upcoming dark action-filled epic follows a young Viking prince on his quest to avenge his father's murder. Everything Eggers touches turns to gold, and from what I’ve seen, this is no exception. This movie looks horrifyingly incredible. Coming to theaters on April 21st, tickets on sale now.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent: A cash-strapped Nicolas Cage (played by Nicolas Cage) agrees to make a paid appearance at a billionaire super fan's birthday party, but is really an informant for the CIA since the billionaire fan is a drug kingpin and gets cast in a Tarantino movie. I don’t know what there is to say. Coming to theaters on April 22nd.
See you all next week! Until then, please get in touch if you have any thoughts or suggestions you’d like to share. If you want to keep up with what I’m watching, follow me on Letterboxd @atharv_gupta. As always, share this with a friend if you enjoyed it!