Everything, Everywhere, All At Once: Chaotic in the Best Way Possible

Everything, Everywhere, All at Once is the best new movie of 2022 that I have seen so far. Starring Michelle Yeoh in the leading role of Evelyn Wang, this film is about the multiverse and how Evelyn may be the key to saving the world. It’s full of improbable situations and wacky characters. I promise you, you won’t regret your decision to go check this movie out.

If you weren’t already sold by the trailer and the fact that Michelle Yeoh is in this movie, let me elucidate a bit more about its charms. On the surface, this movie is about decisions. Every decision you make leads you to the life you are currently living. And in this story, every potential decision leads to a branch in the multiverse. Evelyn is able to connect with Evelyns from other universes and momentarily inherit their talents. For instance, in an alternate universe, Evelyn may be a martial arts master. By performing the right set of “actions,” our Evelyn can connect to martial arts Evelyn and inherit the martial arts ability. In a way, it feels like a video game where the main character is collecting and growing their collection of skills. You’re excited and committed to the story because every new character, scene, and situation is so fun, unique, and funny to watch.

This movie is sometimes about the all-too-familiar anxiety of feeling like nothing you do in life matters. Even if you do your best, there is probably a version of you out there who can do it 10x better. And so, there’s this feeling of helplessness and a feeling that it’s not even worth trying anymore. But on the other side of that coin, with all of the different universes, there can be a feeling that your potential is limitless. If a version of you can become a famous movie actress or a chef, what’s to stop you from achieving your goals as your current self?

Going into the heart of it all, the thing that really touches me about this movie is the depiction of intergenerational differences and misunderstandings. Eleanor, Evelyn’s daughter, struggles to connect with her mother, similar to how Evelyn herself, had essentially become estranged from her father as a younger woman. I think this theme is very relatable, especially for Asian children of immigrant families. At some level, we are constantly trying to bridge the divide between our parent’s upbringing and our own. It certainly gives me hope that the human power to connect and keep trying will outweigh discomfort and misunderstandings, even if it may take time.

This film is crowd-pleasing because of how it expertly mixes action, comedy, adventure, and heart. Not to mention the fact that this movie features a fantastic line-up of Asian American stars and comedic legends. This is truly a fun and unforgettable experience in the theater and I would highly recommend!