I first heard about this movie from my favorite YouTube and TikTok movie reviewers. They raved about it and how it was easily going to win Best Picture for 2022. That piqued my interest, but when I saw it was from my favorite studio, A24, I knew I had to see it in theaters. It was only released in 40 theaters across the country, so I was happy to hear that it was showing in Newport Cinema and decided to see it with my boyfriend, Chris. Although I enjoyed the movie overall, let me make one thing very clear: this is not a good date night movie.
Everything, Everywhere, All at Once is a new take on the concept of the multiverse. The movie centers around the idea that you can access skills from your other multiverse consciousnesses and use them in your current body. While this can make you extremely powerful, there’s one being that has access to the entire spectrum of the multiverse and is hunting down our main character, Evelyn (portrayed by Michelle Yeoh). Yeoh was the perfect choice for this role. For the extraordinary sci-fi circumstances, she delivers an amazing performance that really grounds the film. Especially in the final act, when the core message of the movie is revealed, she does an amazing job of bringing the audience back to reality. The other supporting actors, including Jamie Lee Curtis, Stephanie Hsu, and Ke Huy Quan, also delivered strong performances, but Yeoh was definitely the star of the film.
The most interesting thing about this film, by far, is the way it’s shot. A24 is known for its artistic films, but EEAAO takes it to a whole new level. Certain scenes where they jump between universes were absolutely insane to watch, and I honestly have no idea how they filmed certain sequences. There were so many beautiful colors, shapes, and designs that watching the movie actually gave me a headache. But I didn’t mind, as this piece was something that needed to be seen in theaters to fully appreciate.
Now, although there were a lot of aspects of the movie I enjoyed, there were a few things that could’ve been removed without affecting the overall story. Without going too much into detail, there’s a subplot regarding hot dogs that seemed really random and out-of-place. I understand they were going for a laugh, but the sequence lasted way too long and kept returning when it didn’t seem natural in the movie’s progression. There were also a few minor moments that involved some vulgar humor that didn’t really hit me. It was more cringy than funny and distracted from the overall tone of the film. I feel like if that subplot and those moments were cut or altered from the film, it honestly would be considered a masterpiece in my book.
To be honest, I’m still processing the film, and although Chris didn’t enjoy it very much, we both agreed on one thing: this film is unlike anything we’ve seen before. I’ve seen a lot of strange, artistic films in my time but nothing as ambitious as EEAAO. I do think it has a decent chance to win Best Picture, but we’ll have to see what else comes along for the rest of the year. If you’re interested in a film that will make you think and push you outside your comfort zone, I highly recommend checking out Everything, Everywhere, All at Once while it’s still in theaters. By the end, I guarantee you’ll never look at google eyes, hot dogs, or bagels quite the same way again.
Spoiler Alert is an Opinion culture column used to give reviews for movies, television shows, or other related media.
Be First to Comment