Everything Everywhere All At Once is sensory overload in the best way possible
Michelle Yeoh in Everything Everywhere All At Once. Image: Allyson Riggs
Two words: sensory overload. That is what you get when you sign up for the wacky, wild ride that is Everything Everywhere All at Once – and we mean that in the best way possible.
From directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the filmmaking duo known as the Daniels (Swiss Army Man), the sci-fi action-comedy follows Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh), a laundromat owner struggling with her taxes. When the fate of all universes is threated by “a great evil”, Evelyn must draw on skills from alternate versions of herself to save… everything.
With a budget of only US$25 million (AU$33.6 million), the Daniels pulled off an impressive feat with the Everything Everywhere All At Once earning over half a million dollars in just 10 theatres and then $1.8 million in 36, making it the biggest limited opening of the year. It seems that money speaks louder than words – audiences want those original stories too many studios are hesitant to greenlight.
“Right is a tiny box invented by those who are afraid”
Self-taught martial arts choreographers Andy and Brian Le of Martial Club (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) sought inspiration for the film’s fighting style from classic Hong Kong movies. The exhilarating kung fu scenes are a welcome change from the quick-cut sequences of stunt performers going hand-to-hand in Hollywood’s latest blockbusters.
Meanwhile, Yeoh’s performance is a tour de force. As Evelyn’s reality contorts itself into the most bizarre of fantasies, Yeoh masters the balance between hysterical disbelief and gobsmacked awe. She doesn’t shy away from the intense and meticulously choreographed fight sequences – which comes as no surprise given the action star’s vast martial arts filmography. But her command over the camera is cemented in the emotional moments of the film, of which there is no shortage.
Jamie Lee Curtis lets loose as IRS agent Dierdre. Image: Allyson Riggs
Alongside the sensational Yeoh is Stephanie Hsu (Soo in Marvel’s Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) as her troubled daughter; Jamie Lee Curtis lets loose as a lenient IRS agent; and Ke Huy Quan, who plays Evelyn’s hilariously sweet husband, Waymond, brings the same energy to the screen as he did in his 1984 feature debut as Indy’s (Harrison Ford) sidekick Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
The malignant force, known as Jobu Tupaki, is more than your average villain. Sure, there’s the whole standard end-of-the-world plot, but the Daniels deliver us something poignant and allegorical wrapped in the colourful with extravagant costumes. This seems to be a metaphor for the film itself, as what appears to be a superficial sci-fi flick is actually a heartfelt exploration of intergenerational trauma, self-discovery and depression. Everything Everywhere All At Once is a film that, in the most eccentric way possible, shows us how to fight nihilism with empathy.
You will laugh, wince (beware the papercut scene!) and cry. The humour, sometimes crude, sometimes bizarre, is ever-present. Even in the darkest, most serious moments, the Daniels slip in a joke, a reference, something to tug at the corners of your mouth.
Technically, you cannot fault this film. The musical score, from experimental band Son Lux, elevates and grounds the existential comedy when most needed. When Evelyn uses her jumping pad to shift to an alternate life path, colourful, swirling lighting and dizzying visual effects send us spinning through the madness with her. And the montages – the montages! You will burst with joy and whimper with sadness as Evelyn confronts the pain of her past and the uncertainty of her future. All the basic cinematic techniques are used to the extreme, to their full potential, reminding us what cinema is capable of, and making us question why more filmmakers don’t let loose.
The 95th Academy Awards are a year away, but you can mark your ballots today. Seldom has a film been so deserving of an editing win, at the very least, than A24’s Everything Everywhere All at Once.
This bewildering adventure is a sight to behold on the big screen. Visionary writers and directors the Daniels have created a strikingly imaginative, genre-bending film that will be the next generation of filmmakers’ paragon, proving you don’t need a huge budget to create art. All you need is an idea, passion and to remember you can do anything you want… because nothing matters.