Imagine if someone took the bonkers -- and fantastically blocked -- fight sequences of 2013's Journey to the West and mixed in the multiversal mayhem of 1999's The Matrix. And then, swirl that up with delicious details, incredible heart, and a showstopping Michelle Yeoh, and you'll have a taste for what's in store with A24's Everything Everywhere All At Once.
However, even that description can't encapsulate the impressive range of directors, writers, and producers' Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert's work. Not only does Everything Everywhere All At Once give viewers a unique take on time travel, but it uses its premise to dip its toes into every genre of filmmaking. Trust me, that's not an exaggeration, and it cannot be overstated how difficult that feat is. Although this is Hollywood's first (and overdue) time giving Michelle Yeoh a leading role, the Daniels' film proves how Yeoh thrives in any acting category -- sci-fi, action, comedy, family drama, absurdism, and every take in between.
Everything Everywhere All At Once opens with Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh), a first-generation Chinese-American woman struggling to run a laundry mat with her husband, Waymond Wong (Ke Huy Quan). Complicating matters more, she also has a fractured relationship with her daughter, Joy (Stephanie Hsu). As the Wang family faces their overdue tax return and their impatient IRS auditor, Deirdre Beaubeirdra (Jamie Lee Curtis), Evelyn learns how to call upon her multiversal selves to help her save the fate of the world.
Along the way, Evelyn reconciles with her deep-seated fears of both inadequacy and intimacy. Truly, this is the heart of the film, and is, in part, how it holds together so well. Yeoh's Evelyn feels completely lost, and, at the same time, seduced by imagining everyone else she could be in the universe. Given that setup, it's easy to fall in love with the sudden shifts and changes in settings, tone, costumes, and kinds of Evelyn's that we see on-screen. We too want to know all the ways Evelyn could be and that emotional core steers the film in a bonkers but intuitively appropriate direction. Director of photography Larkin Seiple and film editor Paul Rogers deserve equal acclaim for stitching together this gorgeous journey seamlessly.
Viewers expecting Yeoh to flaunt her Hong Kong action cinema roots won't be disappointed. Timothy Eulich (Swiss Army Man) coordinates Everything Everywhere All At Once's impressive fight sequences, with additional fight choreography by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings stunt performer Brian Le. Eulich mixes the Shaw Brothers' style into a blockbuster MCU scope. The A24 film indulges in showcasing Yeoh's martial art skills and finds plenty of moments for her and stunt double Kiera O'Connor to joyfully commit to fighting -- whether it's with hotdog fingers, a stapler, or a super-powered pinkie finger.
Filled with visual gags that include hysterical in-fight uses of confetti and butt plugs, Everything Everywhere All At Once strategically uses its humor to give breathing room for some of the film's more heartwrenching and existential moments. As Evelyn comes to terms with the pressures her father placed upon her and her life in America, Yeoh beautifully illustrates the ripple effects this pressure put on her daughter. Hsu's Joy stands out as equal parts vulnerable, sassy, and is a force to be reckoned with throughout the runtime.
Everything Everywhere All At Once is a reality-bending tale that'll make audience members laugh and cry and leave the viewing experience with a larger capacity for wonder and empathy. No sci-fi/action film thus far has been able to land that sweet spot. Michelle Yeoh gives us everything in Everything Everywhere All At Once and deserves everything in return.
Fall into the bonkers and heartfelt journey of Everything Everywhere All At Once, hitting theaters on March 25.