Everything Everywhere All at Once is an American absurdist comedy-drama film written and directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. The film premiered at the South by Southwest on March 11, 2022. Then it was released in limited cinemas on March 25. The film has been critically acclaimed since it praised its screenplay, direction, visual effects, and cinematography, plus the movie handles themes such as existentialism, generational trauma, nihilism, neurodiversity, and Asian-American identity.
Evelyn Quan runs a laundromat with her husband Waymond Wang, some two decades after they eloped to the United States and had a daughter, Joy. The IRS is auditing the laundromat. Meanwhile, Waymond is trying to serve Evelyn’s divorce papers, Evelyn’s demanding father Gong Gong is visiting for her Lunar New Year party, and Joy wants her mother to accept her non-Chinese girlfriend Becky, about whom Evelyn lies to Gong Gong.
Everything Everywhere All at Once’s cast is formed by
- Michelle Yeoh as Evelyn Quan Wang, a dissatisfied and overwhelmed laundromat owner; and as several other versions of Evelyn in alternate universes.
- Stephanie Hsu as Joy Wang, Evelyn’s daughter; and Jobu Tupaki, Alpha-Evelyn’s omnicidal daughter and a godly, colorful threat to the multiverse.
- Ke Huy Quan as Waymond Wang, Evelyn’s meek husband whose benevolence comes off as naïveté; Alpha-Waymond, from the Alphaverse; and other versions of Waymond in alternate universes
- James Hong as Gong Gong (Cantonese, “grandfather”),[10] Evelyn’s demanding father; and Alpha-Gong Gong, Alpha-Evelyn’s father in the Alphaverse.
- Jamie Lee Curtis as Deirdre Beaubeirdre, an IRS inspector; and as several other versions of Deirdre in alternate universes.
- Jenny Slate as Debbie the Dog Mom, a laundromat customer[c]
- Harry Shum Jr. as Chad, a teppanyaki chef working alongside an alternative Evelyn in another universe.
The film has a 95% out of 100% on the web aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on 366 reviews. The website consensus says “Led by an outstanding Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once lives up to its title with an expertly calibrated assault on the senses”. Metacritic gave the film an 81 out of 100 based on 54 critics, indicating “universal acclaim”
The film is currently nominated for the Oscars, a total of 11 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Director, among others.
