Movie Review: Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) — A Cosmic Tapestry of Chaos, Meaning, and Love

In a cinematic landscape often saturated with sequels, reboots, and formulaic plots, Everything Everywhere All at Once emerges as a triumphant, soul-shaking breath of fresh air. Released in 2022 and directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert—collectively known as "The Daniels"—this film is an unrelenting, genre-bending odyssey that defies expectations while confronting the deepest layers of human existence.

At its heart, it is an emotional story about identity, family, and love—told through the lens of absurdity, sci-fi multiverse theory, martial arts chaos, and a compelling philosophical idea borrowed from the film Sliding Doors (1998): that every choice creates a ripple effect, spawning an infinite array of alternate lives.

The film follows Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh), an overwhelmed Chinese-American laundromat owner facing a failing business, a fractured marriage, a strained relationship with her daughter Joy, and an intimidating IRS audit. But just as she feels her life unraveling, Evelyn is thrown into a multiversal maelstrom—called upon to save all of existence by connecting with versions of herself across countless parallel realities.

Like Sliding Doors, which famously explores how a single missed train can split a life into two radically different outcomes, Everything Everywhere All at Once expands that premise exponentially. Every decision Evelyn has ever made—and every decision she could have made—branches into a new reality. Some are triumphant, others tragic, and many are simply bizarre. But unlike Sliding Doors, which remains emotionally grounded in two narrative timelines, this film plunges into dozens at once, creating a kaleidoscopic explosion of narrative possibilities.

Despite the film’s rapid editing, genre shifts, and tonal acrobatics, the Daniels masterfully hold the reins. The editing (which earned Paul Rogers an Oscar) and production design give every timeline its own texture and rhythm, making the multiverse both exhilarating and emotionally accessible.

The central philosophical question in Everything Everywhere All at Once echoes that of sliding doors: “What if things had gone differently?” But the Daniels go even further by asking: “If every possibility is real, then what matters?” The answer, in their cosmic comedy of errors, is surprisingly grounded—what matters is connection, compassion, and presence in the now.

The film grapples with generational trauma, the immigrant experience, identity, and nihilism. The concept of the "Everything Bagel"—a literal black hole of infinite possibility and despair—symbolizes the paralyzing nature of choice and the fear that nothing we do has meaning. This is contrasted with the quiet, persistent philosophy of Waymond, Evelyn’s husband, who believes that kindness is the only way to survive the madness.

- Michelle Yeoh delivers a career-defining performance as Evelyn, anchoring the film with emotional honesty and physical mastery. Her portrayal of dozens of Evelyns—from a movie star to a hibachi chef—embodies the *Sliding Doors* premise in full force: a life fractured by both minor and major choices.

- Ke Huy Quan, in his glorious return to acting, brings warmth, heartbreak, and wisdom to Waymond. His alternate versions—a suave action hero in one reality, a timid optimist in another—reveal the richness of a man shaped by different paths, underscoring how even the gentlest souls carry multitudes.

- Stephanie Hsu is phenomenal as Joy/Jobu Tupaki, Evelyn’s daughter and the film’s antagonist. Her character is both a warning and a reflection: a version of Evelyn who has lost all meaning, showing what happens when possibility becomes burden rather than freedom.

- Jamie Lee Curtis surprises and delights as Deirdre, the stern IRS agent whose own multiversal versions add both comedy and poignancy to the story. Her Oscar-winning role proves that even in the wildest of universes, there is no such thing as a "minor character."

Everything Everywhere All at Once was both a critical and commercial phenomenon, sweeping the 2023 Academy Awards with 7 Oscars, including:

- Best Picture  
- Best Director (Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert)  
- Best Actress (Michelle Yeoh)  
- Best Supporting Actor (Ke Huy Quan)  
- Best Supporting Actress (Jamie Lee Curtis)  
- Best Original Screenplay  
- Best Film Editing

It made history as the most awarded film of a single season, and more importantly, it sparked conversations about representation, philosophy, and storytelling in bold new ways.

Made on a modest $25 million budget, the film relied on a small, scrappy visual effects team of just five artists—who created most of the jaw-dropping visuals using off-the-shelf software. The Daniels brought a background in music videos and indie experimentation, and their collaborative approach fostered a creative environment where risks were embraced and limits were pushed.

Michelle Yeoh has spoken about how deeply personal the role was for her, calling it the role she had been waiting her whole career to play. Ke Huy Quan’s emotional return to Hollywood after decades of absence brought the film’s themes full circle—his very presence a testament to roads once thought closed being opened anew.

Everything Everywhere All at Once is a revelation. It blends the heady possibilities of sliding doors with the visual inventiveness of The Matrix, the heart of Ratatouille, and the emotional intelligence of a family drama. It doesn’t just ask “What if?”—it asks, “So what?”

Through absurdity and sincerity, chaos and clarity, this film reminds us that even in the infinite multiverse, the most extraordinary thing we can do is to choose love, kindness, and presence. 

At its core, Everything Everywhere All at Once is a love letter—to immigrants, to mothers and daughters, to weirdos, to dreamers, and to everyone who feels crushed under the weight of infinite choices. It takes the chaotic energy of the multiverse and channels it into something emotionally resonant and deeply human.

In an era where many feel lost, disillusioned, or overwhelmed, this film tells us: "Be kind. Especially when you don’t know what’s going on." And sometimes, that’s the most radical, most heroic thing we can do.

A once-in-a-generation masterpiece that redefines what cinema can be. Watch it. Feel it. And maybe, just maybe, walk away believing in your own story again.