(Updated 07/20/2022)
You have never seen a movie like EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE. And we have seen few movies that live up to their title as well as this one does. Imagine a multiverse-hopping action sci-fi movie with a powerfully emotional story. It’s the new movie from the directing duo known as Daniels, who previously made SWISS ARMY MAN, and before that made music videos like "Turn Down for What."
EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE is the story of Evelyn, a woman who very desperately needs to do her taxes. At least, that’s the top level of the story. The woman, played by Michelle Yeoh, is really dealing with a potential divorce from her husband (Ke Huy Quan), drama with her daughter (Stephanie Hsu), and a pervasive sense that she missed out on her life.
When all of Evelyn's problems bubble up at once, well, things get crazy. Maybe you should watch the trailer to see what's going on, especially since EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE is returning to theatres on July 29! It's a well-deserved encore for a special movie.
Martial Arts and Googly Eyes
The best way to get a taste of EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE is through the main trailer. It gives you a sense of the story, and of Evelyn's fraying mental state, and it also shows off some of the universe-hopping and inventive action that are part of the movie's unique character. It doesn't give too much away, though there's so much going on in this movie that it is virtually impossible to give everything away.
Ke Huy Quan Returns!
When he was a boy, Ke Huy Quan delivered standout performances as Short Round in INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM and Data in THE GOONIES. He did some television and a couple of other movies, and then he disappeared. Turns out that Quan felt like there were no roles for an Asian actor of his character, so he basically retired from acting.
Daniels lured him into the cast of EEAAO, and he is magnificent. It's like not one single day has gone by since Ke Huy Quan was last in front of a camera. His performance, as Evelyn's sadly frustrated husband, and as other multiverse variations of the same man, is compelling. Furthermore, his work in the movie's action scenes is superlative. There are several stand up and cheer moments from Quan. it's such a delight to have him back on the big screen.
Michelle Yeoh Finally Gets Her Due
If you've been watching action movies for a long time, you might remember when Michelle Yeoh started to make her name known in Hong Kong movies like Police Story III: Supercop, in which she held her own starring opposite Jackie Chan in his prime. Yeoh has always been a force of nature.
While she has had many roles in American movies and English-language films, few felt like they were worthy of Yeoh's skills. Not only is she one of the best physical performers of the last 50 years, Yeoh is an impressive dramatic performer. EEAAO takes advantage of both of those skill sets, as Yeoh makes Evelyn's emotional plight as powerful as her intuitive forays into fist fighting. This is an action movie, kind of, but Evelyn's personal transformation is the hinge on which the entire movie turns, and that's entirely to Yeoh's credit.
Jamie Lee Curtis Gets a Workout
The characters played by Ke Huy Quan and Michelle Yeoh are very emotionally straightforward, even when the circumstances around them are, frankly, insane. Jamie Lee Curtis gets to play on a different level, and her success in the movie highlights just how good she can be.
Curtis plays Deirdre Beaubeirdre, the IRS inspector who is looking into Evelyn's life and business. Deirdre is grumpy and bitter, but those traits are clearly fostered by her job at the IRS, which makes her a person that no one wants to deal with. She could be the villain, but when Deirdre allows flashes of her true humanity to show through, her performance becomes surprisingly touching.
We've focused on the actors in EEAAO, which hasn't left us much space to talk about the fanny pack fight scene, or the universe where people have hot dog fingers, or the raccoon, or the talking rocks, or the universe(s) inspired by Hong Kong movies, specifically IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE. There's simply too much to talk about! You'll just have to see EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE.
EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE is back in theatres on July 29.
All images courtesy of A24.