Everything Everywhere All at Once | SXSW 2022 Film Review

I cannot remember a title more appropriately affixed to a film than Everything Everywhere All at Once. The directing duo known as The Daniels (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert) have seemingly taken every single iota of an idea, concept, or construct they have ever contemplated, rolled it up in Play-Doh, and tossed it at the movie screen at warp speed to see what sticks. What is most impressive about this otherwise exhaustive process known as the “Kitchen Sink Method”? This time, it works brilliantly.

The eternally multifaceted talent of Michelle Yeoh is put on full display as Evelyn Wang, a Chinese American laundromat owner on the verge of losing her business due to tax issues, as well as her marriage to Waymond (Ke Huy Quan) due to her obliviousness of his needs. Evelyn is preparing to address her financial woes just as her forever unapproving father’s (an always welcome James Wong) birthday party lingers. Complicating matters further is Evelyn’s utter lack of acknowledgement of her daughter, Joy (Stephanie Hsu), and her romantic relationship with Becky. Everyone in the Wang family is struggling, not the least of whom is Evelyn.

As Evelyn is being dressed down by no-nonsense IRS auditor Deidre (Jamie Lee Curtis, gloriously playing against every type), she is confronted by a ballistic missile of a situation: Waymond slaps a pair of earpieces on her, tells her he’s from another universe, and she’s their only hope to save the entire multiverse from an enigmatic foe known only as Jobu Tupaki.

A heaping scoop of The Matrix plus a dash of the MCU leads us to the ability to upload any iteration of Evelyn from other verses into THIS version of her, in an effort to assist her with any immediate task. Known as “verse jumping”, at any given moment, Evelyn can become a martial arts specialist, a master chef, a renowned actress akin to a “Michelle Yeoh type”, and those are just the normal ones. Things get pretty weird from here, and when I say weird, I’m not exaggerating.

I refuse to spoil this kaleidoscope of a screenplay, but just know every fetish and taboo concept bleeds through at any given time. The Daniels are taking huge swings with this film, way bigger and bolder than their equally oddball Swiss Army Man. Furthermore, it is impossible to pigeonhole this work as any one genre. It combines equal elements of action, comedy, sci-fi, and most importantly, heart.

Therein lies the magic of what makes Everything Everywhere All at Once work, the beating humanity underneath it all. Evelyn has made choices all over the map in her life, never quite paying her fullest attention to those in her life that need her most. It’s a truism we all suffer from at times, especially if you happen to be a parent or a spouse. Life gets in the way so often, you frequently forget that your issues are often your own, and others in your life need something else. Perhaps even unknown or misunderstood by you.

As Evelyn wades deeper and deeper into the pools of plot insanity, the film slowly shows its hand as to what it is truly about, under all of those layers of butt plugs and hot dog fetishes. It’s nuanced, generational, societal, familial, and like its title, everything all at once.

Leading the charge is Michelle Yeoh as Evelyn, in a masterfully layered performance of basically every character known to filmdom. Everything requires so much range to nail, including a hefty dose of snarky maternal wisdom, and it’s absolute bliss to witness Yeoh rise to the occasion in every facet. An actress known for her martial arts prowess to westerners, Yeoh firmly establishes she deserves ample opportunities in every brand of Hollywood gloss being made these days.

Ke Huy Quan, welcome back to where you belong! An actor out of sight for far too many years, Waymond demonstrates how much the world has missed Quan’s gift of immediate relatability. His effervescent warmth shines through his character at each turn, while his mounting depression over his flailing marriage permeates the background.

Stephanie Hsu’s Joy is so paramount to the complex narrative at play, yet most of her character arc is untold and underlying. Thus, Hsu’s performance requires a talented actor capable of subtlety as well as the ability to switch gears with immediacy. Though Yeoh is clearly the star, Joy is a mother’s motivation, and Hsu seizes the opportunities afforded to her as the lynchpin for Evelyn’s plight.

Jamie Lee Curtis is an icon of strength and adaptability. When you think versatility in Hollywood, if you’re not thinking of Curtis, you’re not paying attention. Her Deidre is almost a homage to Agent Smith if you were watching Matrix high on bath salts. Curtis wastes not a single moment of her screen time, every time she’s present, prepare for an onslaught of absurdity.

As a film rife with bold, brilliant ideas, the last act does ramble on a bit longer than necessary. For quite some time, Everything was a perfect cinematic experience. But when you toss in EVERYTHING but the kitchen sink, you have to know when to drain it. The Daniels are talents to absolutely keep an eye on, I just hope they tighten their next project up a bit for maximum effect.

Creativity is a force of nature when it’s utilized by the right voices, and The Daniels are the perfect shepherds for a film with ideas this grand. In an era where everyone seemingly bitches about a lack of originality in Hollywood, Everything Everywhere All at Once is the bat-shit crazy answer the world’s been waiting for. See it as soon as possible in movie theaters. This is a film that demands to be seen with asses in seats, and everyone deserves a cinematic experience like this.

Follow our further discussion on this and over 25 other film and episodic premieres screened at SXSW 2022 via this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast: