An aging Chinese immigrant is swept up in an insane adventure where she alone can save the world by exploring other universes connecting with the lives she could have led. The most mind-bending and heartwarming film of the decade.
Exceptional
Everything Everywhere All at Once is a symphonic explosion of creativity, emotion, and humanity wrapped in a multiverse action comedy. Michelle Yeoh delivers a career-capping performance while the Daniels craft a film that somehow makes nihilism feel hopeful. A masterpiece of modern cinema.
Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh) runs a struggling laundromat with her husband Waymond (Ke Huy Quan). When she learns her IRS audit is the same day as her daughter's coming-out party to her parents, her universe—and every universe—collapses into chaos. She discovers that the multiverse is in danger, and only she, in her most mediocre self, can save all of existence.
Everything Everywhere achieves the impossible—it balances multiverse spectacle with intimate family drama:
Beneath the multiverse madness lies a deeply personal immigrant story. Evelyn is caught between cultures, generations, and her own perception of failure. The film's central message—that meaning can be found in the small moments with people you love—is delivered with such sincerity that it transcends the absurdist packaging. Jamie Lee Curtis's delightfully unhinged IRS agent is the perfect comedic counterweight.
Minor quibbles with an otherwise near-perfect film:
Everything Everywhere All at Once is a once-in-a-generation film. It proves that blockbusters can be brainy, that comedies can be profound, and that immigrant stories deserve center stage. A transcendent experience that will make you laugh, cry, and reconsider the meaning of existence.
out of 10
Won 7 Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director
Landmark film for Asian-American storytelling in mainstream cinema
Redefined what indie films could achieve commercially
Evelyn Wang
Waymond Wang
Joy Wang
Directors