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What the Heck is Everything Everywhere All At Once?

Writer's picture: Sean ChapmanSean Chapman

Updated: Mar 23, 2023


Actress Michelle Yeoh in a still frame from the film
Actress Michelle Yeoh

On Sunday March 12, the film Everything Everywhere All At Once won seven academy awards: Best Actress in a Leading Role (Michelle Yeoh), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Jamie Lee Curtis), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Ke Huy Quan), Best Film Editing, Best Directing, Best Writing-Original Screenplay, and Best Picture. It won seven out of eleven of their nominations. Never having seen the movie, I was shocked by the outcome. So even though I am no member of the Academy, I wanted to decide for myself if it was deserving of all the praise.

Actors Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, Michelle Yeoh, and James Huong
Actors Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, Michelle Yeoh, and James Huong

Released March 11, 2022, Everything Everywhere All At Once, a sci-fi-like film, was written and directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. The film follows an unsatisfied daughter, wife, mother, and laundromat owner Evelyn Quan Wang as she travels through different universes with the help of her husband Waymond Wang. Waymond recruited her to combat the evil taking over the many universes, the evil created by her daughter. Over the course of the movie, we travel with Evelyn and Waymond through a multitude of possible civilizations (Evelyn as a master warrior, movie star, singer, or sign flipper, people with hot dogs for fingers, life as rocks, etc.). Along the way, Evelyn harnesses the skills needed to combat the evil her daughter has created. In the end, she chooses to stay in the universe she was already in as a daughter, wife, mother, and laundromat owner but with a new mentality of gratitude and content.

“Summarizing it would take forever — literally!” -- A.O. Scott, writer for The New York Times in his March 13, 2022 film review, “‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ Review: It’s Messy, and Glorious.”

Actress Stephanie Hsu in a still frame from the film
Actress Stephanie Hsu

This movie was a freaking trip and a half as you can tell by my overwhelming summary that doesn’t even go into all the other crazy stuff that happens. I tried my best, guys, ha ha :)

So, does Everything Everywhere All At Once deserve the hype?


YES!


To say this movie was fantastic would be a major understatement. I watched this in my bed Sunday night before coming back to school, and it was the perfect ending to my spring break. I was feeling a bit down because the break had ended, and I was back in the gloomy Iowa weather. Also at one point, the plot made me tear up--even though the situation was nowhere near realistic, the emotions portrayed by the actors were relatable and powerful. All of my emotions were flying everywhere, and my brain was going berserk, but in the end, the resolution of this movie made me warm and smiley, satisfied and fulfilled.


'Everything Everywhere All At Once' movie poster
'Everything Everywhere All At Once' movie poster

The performances from all of the actors were outstanding. In my personal opinion, all of them should have been awarded. This ensemble was masterfully conducted, and I love the representation of Asian culture and values. Ultimately, Everything Everywhere All At Once was a hit and definitely deserves the hype it received.

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