Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
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A laundromat owner must navigate a complex multiverse to stop a powerful being from destroying everything.
The story
Evelyn Quan Wang is a middle-aged Chinese immigrant who runs a struggling laundromat in Simi Valley, California. While facing an impending Internal Revenue Service (IRS) audit and personal turmoil regarding her marriage and her daughter's life, she is thrust into a chaotic reality. During a tense meeting with an IRS agent, her husband's body is taken over by a version of himself from another universe. He reveals the existence of a multiverse where every life choice creates a new reality. Evelyn learns she must connect with parallel versions of herself to gain the skills and memories necessary to stop a powerful being, Jobu Tupaki, from destroying the multiverse.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Evelyn Quan Wang, a Chinese-American immigrant struggling with a failing laundromat and a strained family life, is confronted by Alpha-Waymond during an IRS audit. He explains that she must use 'verse-jumping' to connect with parallel versions of herself to stop Jobu Tupaki, a being who experiences all universes at once and threatens to destroy the multiverse with an 'Everything Bagel.' Evelyn discovers various versions of herself, including one as a martial arts star. She is told by Alpha-Gong Gong to kill her daughter, Joy, but she refuses. As she fights Jobu's minions, her mind begins to splinter. She eventually finds herself in the 'Everything Bagel' with Jobu, who reveals she only wants to find someone who sees that nothing matters. In a moment of clarity, Evelyn listens to her husband's plea for kindness and chooses to fight with empathy. She repairs the damage across universes, reconciles with her family, and accepts Joy's life. The film ends with the family refiling their taxes, with Evelyn grounded in her own reality.
- First release year
- 2022
- Runtime (minutes)
- 139
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English; Mandarin; Cantonese
- Directors
- Daniel Kwan; Daniel Scheinert
- Writers
- Daniel Kwan · writer; Daniel Scheinert · writer
- Cast and characters
- Michelle Yeoh · Evelyn Quan Wang; Stephanie Hsu · Joy Wang; Jobu Tupaki; Ke Huy Quan · Waymond Wang; Alpha-Waymond; James Hong · Gong Gong; Alpha-Gong Gong; Jamie Lee Curtis · Deirdre Beaubeirdre
- Genres
- absurdist comedy-drama; surreal comedy; science fiction; fantasy; martial arts films; immigrant narrative
- Themes
- existentialism; nihilism; surrealism; absurdism; neurodivergence; depression; generational trauma; Asian American identity
- Tone and mood
- absurdist; surreal; heartfelt
- Setting
- Simi Valley, California; Multiverse
- Premise and plot tags
- multiverse; martial arts; immigrant story; time travel/multiverse jumping
- Reception
- The film garnered widespread critical acclaim and won numerous awards, including several Academy Awards.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 81 · scale: 100 · review count: 55; PostTrak · score: 89% · scale: 100%
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Picture · Win; Academy Award · Best Actress · Win; Academy Award · Best Supporting Actor · Win; Academy Award · Best Supporting Actress · Win; Academy Award · Best Director · Win; Academy Award · Best Original Screenplay · Win; Academy Award · Best Editing · Win; Critics' Choice Award · Best Picture · Win; SAG Award · Best Ensemble · Win
- Production trivia
- The script was originally written for Jackie Chan.; The film's title in some regions is a Chinese idiom meaning 'unimaginable and fantastical'.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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