Everything Everywhere All at Once Review: Creative Explosion!

A Chinese immigrant mother finds out that she can be the key to saving multiple universes connected to each other. Directed by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, this sci-fi black comedy stars Michelle Yeoh in the lead role with Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, Jenny Slate, and Jamie Lee Curtis in supporting roles.

Related: Ambulance (2022) Movie Review – Bay is Back!
Related: Morbius Review – Studio Interference Strikes Again!

There is so much that is great about Everything Everywhere All at Once, but I almost struggle to put it down in writing days after watching it. The first thing that I have to say is that the creativity of the visuals, storyline, comedy, action and everything is just something else. It is movies like this that just leave you in awe of what it is able to offer, leaping between many universes and frantically including some cool martial arts style scenes.

I expected a bonkers movie after realizing that these directors did Swiss Army Man before, but this one is on another level. Being a fan of Michelle Yeoh, I was happy that we got to see her give a performance beyond just action, and in this movie she shined on so many levels where the action was almost secondary to her wonderful, multilevel performance. Not everyone would have known that she was a great actress outside of her action but they will now.

Speaking of action, Everything Everywhere All at Once provided me with something that I didn’t know that I needed in my life. Getting to see Yeoh and Jamie Lee Curtis in a short action scene, fighting each other put a big smile on my face. Also, it was splendid to see Short Round, Ke Huy Quan, back in the limelight, where he gave a performance that steals scenes in and out. I smiled cause when I was younger, I used to joke that I played Short Round in Indiana Jones. The family dynamic was special in this film and will pull you in many different directions throughout the story.

On to the negatives, I mentioned the family dynamic was strong, however, the performance delivered by the daughter Joy, played by Stephanie Hsu, wasn’t up to par with the rest of the film. I think it was called for at times, but I felt that she was overacting and that it stood out for me too much on the negative side. In terms of the creativity, the film hits you as a machine gun stuck on rapid-fire that, for some, it might be tough to keep track of everything happening without any room to breathe.

This movie was special and was right up my alley. I did not know what to expect but did see some favorable ratings going into it. I went in with an open mind and was pretty much smiling from beginning to the end with how beautiful it was. This movie was a mix of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, mixed in with The Matrix and bits and pieces of comic book movies with the multiverses.

Related: Best Drama Movies on Netflix Right Now
Related: Best Thriller Movies on Netflix You Can’t Miss!

I liked how Everything Everywhere All at Once was able to almost use a limited budget to tell an epic story. There was a lot to interpret in this movie, and I am not even going to explain it because with how great it was, I feel that everyone can get something different out of it. For me, it was about appreciating the things that you have and not living a life of what-ifs or thinking about how life would be better. This is a must-watch and something that will be among my favorites of the year.

‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ Rating – 4/5

Review by Bobby Mack (@mmreview)