Unraveling the Multiverse Madness
So, ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ (try saying that five times fast) is a film that’s about as easy to explain as quantum physics to a toddler. It’s like someone threw every genre into a blender and hit the ‘puree’ button. But let’s try to make sense of this multiverse mayhem, shall we? The film’s multiverse structure is essentially narrative anarchy. It’s a smorgasbord of alternate realities where anything goes and everything matters—or does it?
Once you can see every universe, suddenly none of them seem to matter.
This gem of a quote perfectly encapsulates the existential shrug that the film gives us. The plot thickens faster than my grandma’s gravy when Evelyn learns she’s got doppelgängers in danger across a gazillion universes. It’s an adventure that never takes itself too seriously, delivering a visual spectacle full of self-deprecating humor.
A Wink at Existential Despair
Now, let’s talk about having an identity crisis on steroids. The film doesn’t just ask ‘who am I?’ but ‘who am I in a gazillion different universes?’ It’s like waking up from a nap and finding out you’re suddenly responsible for saving all of existence. No pressure, right? Jobu Tupaki’s philosophy is as comforting as a brick pillow: Nothing matters.
That’s some heavy-duty nihilism wrapped in an everything bagel of absurdity.
The Daniels (those cheeky directors) have grounded their latest project so well that when the fantastical turn happens, it blindsides you with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. They borrow from Vonnegut and Adams, dialing up the absurdity to 100 while exploring themes of mental health and existential loneliness. It becomes apparent that Evelyn was once reckless enough to abandon her family for love, only to be smacked in the face by the consequences.
The Dysfunctional Family Portrait
If you thought your family get-togethers were awkward, try adding some interdimensional chaos into the mix. The Wangs are basically every family ever—just with more universe-hopping and existential threats. Evelyn’s strained relationships with her goofball husband and her daughter (who also happens to be a goddess of destruction in another universe) are as relatable as they are bizarre.
The Daniels dig into these dynamics with the precision of a neurosurgeon on caffeine. The script is rich, nuanced, and crafted with care, tackling generational angst and failure with a side of homo…morphic sausage fingers? At the start of the movie, we’re thrust into the cluttered reality of Evelyn’s home life—think receipts and unkempt bags everywhere—which sets the stage for the family drama to unfold amidst cosmic calamities.
The Genre Blender on Overdrive
Ever wanted to see a movie that can’t decide whether it wants to be sci-fi, comedy, drama, action, or romance? Well, ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ decided it wants to be all of them at once. It blends genres like a master chef creating a fusion cuisine that somehow works even though it shouldn’t. The result could give genre purists a migraine but offers everyone else a rollercoaster ride through sci-fi/fantasy’s chaotic heart.
Proving not every story about the fate of the world needs an extinction-level meteor,
this film reimagines what a multiverse movie can be. It intertwines elements so seamlessly that you barely notice when you’ve jumped from an evil auditor showdown to kung fu action with talking raccoons. EEAAO has been nominated for 11 Oscars including ‘Best Picture,’ which just goes to show how well this genre cocktail was mixed.
A Visual Feast of Absurdity
Last but not least, let’s talk about how this film looks like it was shot through the lens of someone who just discovered what all the buttons on their camera do—and decided to press them all at once. With concepts like abyssal bagels and traditional Chinese immigrant family drama, ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ merges bizarrely wonderful ideas with equally unique cinematography and special effects.
Distributed by A24 Films, this 139-minute feature is simultaneously a sci-fi movie, kung fu action flick, romance, and family drama starring Michelle Yeoh—a multiverse of genres and possibilities indeed. It follows a Chinese American woman through an uneventful day turned upside down by interdimensional shenanigans. The creativity is off the charts here; it’s audacious enough to make you wonder if there’s anything these filmmakers aren’t willing to try.
