“Everything Everywhere All At Once” Film Review

By Quinn Marcus

So I had very little idea what this movie was leading up to its release date. I’d seen ads for it scrolling through Instagram, but it wasn’t until recently that I started to get excited about it. You know, I love A24. I remember explaining in my Green Knight review last year that this studio has always dared to push the boundaries of the cinematic medium, and bring talented indie directors into the spotlight. Is the quality of their films released a tad varying, yes, but I’m glad that a studio like this exists, and I think Everything Everywhere All at Once completely solidified that fact. To put it simply, this film is everything I adore about A24, and frankly, movies, in general, tightly and skillfully packed into a single, mind-blowing experience. Trust me, I am not overselling this one bit, Everything Everywhere All at Once is beyond phenomenal. I haven’t seen innovation or originality at this level in a long time, it’s a gem amongst the rubble of an increasingly generic market of film that kept me entertained consistently and without fail, never once holding back, always managing to push the concept of the film to its limits the whole way through.

Logically, there’s no way this movie should have worked; it's overstuffed, nonsensical, whipping through the vastness of the multiverse at almost incomprehensible speeds, and yet it succeeds with flying colors. Why? Well, to tell the truth, I might need a second viewing to come up with a final answer, but it does achieve something I haven't seen in cinema, and that's managing to truly, seamlessly pull off everything, everywhere, ALL. AT. ONCE. It's one of the most visually creative films I've ever seen, ambitiously insane without ever losing sight of its heart or themes. Grounded, but elevated, untamed, but also constructed with care. Stylistically, it makes callbacks to the works of filmmakers such as Wong Kar-wai and Quentin Tarantino, but Daniel Kwan and Daniel Schienert (the Daniels) aren't messing around, they’re smashing through the rules of Hollywood, the structural norms, fully committing to their ideas. Essentially, it feels like the script was conceived at random, but in the best way possible.

Normally, a film that includes talking rocks, ominous floating bagels, and sausage fingers (all of which are utilized to their maximum, hilarious potential) could easily become ridiculous and a mess, but the thing is, Everything Everywhere All at Once isn’t a failed mess, in fact, it thrives within its own mess, achieving perfection amongst the chaos if that makes any sense. What I’m trying to say is that I didn’t anticipate something constructed around imperfection, but managed to find a transcendent beauty in its own madness. I sound pretentious, but when you see it, words fail to describe the brilliance and ambition of such a project. The cast was 100 percent believable, and I bet it must have been hard choosing the performers, because honestly, they could make or break a film like this, all it takes is a faltering of character to shatter the imaginative atmosphere; thankfully, I couldn’t ask for a better ensemble.

I hope Michelle Yeoh, and many of the excellent supporting cast receive Oscar recognition next year. Jonathan Ke Quan was a standout, Jamie Lee Curtis was fantastic, everyone pulled off top-notch scenes of comedy, drama, and action to the best of their abilities. Speaking of the action, it was choreographed marvelously and edited to perfection, often reminiscent of Kill Bill or the original Matrix in terms of style and rhythm. I’m not kidding when I say this, but there were four segments of applause from the crowd during a combat scene involving a fanny pack, that’s how well the action was executed. What was awesome about this viewing experience was unexpectedly the audience. There were MCU level cheers, laughs, and clapping throughout, sometimes during singular scenes (as mentioned previously), and to have a lively crowd like this during an A24 film on a Thursday night put the biggest smile on my face.

Maybe it’s because everyone was simultaneously in a positive mood, I don’t know, but this audience enhanced the experience greatly, and it might take the top spot as my favorite theater experience. Everybody was having fun, and there was this undeniable vibe in the room that we were all witnessing something truly special, and that feeling is what the cinematic experience is about, it’s what studios should be striving to produce, and ultimately what movie theaters need, especially right now. Anytime I thought the film couldn’t possibly have another trick up its sleeve, it surprised me constantly, I struggle to pinpoint any exact issues with it. Admittedly, the emotion of the film isn’t as profound as the rest of the movie, but it still packs a powerful punch about family and forgiveness in a gorgeous finale that left me speechless and satisfied. Guys, when this film hits a theater near you, I’m begging you to support it, art like this deserves your attention, and I’m excited to watch it again.