Everything Everywhere All at Once

Ok, the movie contains a lot, a lot. It contains impressive action, drama, SF, humor as well as numerous incredible scenes and shots. I give him a big plus for his incredible originality and idea. However, for me personally, the film was a little too much, to put it that way. In the context of the Oscars, it's also incredible to me that the film picked up so many important awards. Is this the best movie of the year?! Reading numerous reviews and comments, it's clear to me that I'm in the minority and that's why I'm surprised by all the hype surrounding the film. For some, this is even one of the best films ever made. Due to these expectations, I have to admit that the film did not impress me at all. It's not a problem for me to admit that it's up to me and that I can't understand the magnitude of the film, which will obviously be a cult classic tomorrow. But I am surprised that such a strange film won over so many people.

I have trouble turning off my brain. Anxieties, worries, mundane to-dos, even positive things, sometimes feel like they're swirling around in a chaotic funnel cloud and I would like nothing more than to sit in physical and mental silence.

"Everything Everywhere All At Once" felt like the inside of my head. In a world of non-stop, 24/7 news, most of it bad, how is a person like me, who has trouble filtering out things that affect me directly from all of the other things that are just out there happening in general and over which I have no control, supposed to cope?

One answer is to decide that nothing matters anyway and give up caring. But that means deciding that my wife doesn't matter. And that my kids don't matter. And that art, and nature, and things that bring joy to my life, don't matter.

Another way is to decide that some things, ok maybe most things, don't matter, but that there are things that do, and those are the things that make it all worth it. I get to decide what those things are.

The first approach is nihilistic. The second approach is empowering. This film explores both approaches, and I was a sobbing mess at the end.

I will say there were times that I was a bit exhausted by this movie. It throws a lot on the screen and at the viewer, and occasionally it can't keep up with its ambitions. But this was mostly a home run.

Michell Yeoh does terrific work in this, but the MVP is Ke Huy Quan (Short Round from the "Indiana Jones" movies).

Grade: A.

There's a point here where we are swept up in sensory overload, where so much stuff is thrown at us that we tune it out. I reached a point about two-thirds through this where I couldn't get my mind back in it. Have we reached a point where we have no expectations of a conclusion. When one has someone playing multiple characters in multiple settings, there needs to be something tying it together. The protagonist needs to be someone we identify with who has wishes and hopes that lead us on. She seemed as confused as the storyteller and the husband. I guess I'll read some more about this film and hope with guidance to try to figure it out a bit. Obviously, all these universes and all this actions (way too much battling in my estimation) are leading somewhere. I thought the film had ended about six times. I don't mind being brought back in, but I wish I understood where we just landed. Yes, there is a lot going on and it is violently splashed on the screen. But I ended up exhausted and unsatisfied.

Having seen countless raving reviews about this movie both on IMDb, and even more so on Twitter, I thought "damn, I have to go see this ASAP". I went in expecting something incredible, movie of the year standard, but wow was I disappointed.

Literally 75% of the movie is fight scenes, like okay it was cool at the start but 2 hours in and still?? 'Everything Everywhere' is perfect for people with a short attention span because there's always something ridiculous going on. I understood what they were trying to do with the plot but honestly nothing stuck, it just felt shallow.

Don't get me wrong it's not a bad film, but it's nowhere near these 10/10 reviews that's being advertised.

At some point in the last decade, cinema collectively decided that more is more. More movement, more colour, more genres crammed into one film. This movie epitomises that philosophy: pure, unfiltered chaos masquerading as profundity. It's action, comedy, sci-fi, family drama, absurdist theatre, and a philosophy lecture, all happening at once. And yet, somehow, it still manages to feel empty.

There's no denying the technical ambition. The editing is frenetic, the cinematography playful, the performances fully committed. Michelle Yeoh is brilliant, and Ke Huy Quan's sincerity provides the emotional backbone. The sheer number of visual gags, rapid-cut fight sequences, and surreal concepts is impressive on paper. But the question is, does it all add up to something meaningful?

The film touches existential themes- nihilism, generational trauma, the overwhelming weight of infinite possibilities. But it never truly settles, because settling is not in its nature. Instead, it constantly shifts gears, throwing another absurd joke, another action sequence, another universe into the mix. The emotional beats are there, but they fight for space in a film that refuses to slow down.

And that's where it stumbles. There's a point where maximalism becomes a distraction rather than a tool. The over-reliance on absurdity starts to feel less like a creative choice and more like an avoidance tactic, style suffocating substance. The visual effects, while inventive, often look cheap. The action, initially exhilarating, overstays its welcome. The sentimentality, while heartfelt, struggles to resonate when surrounded by hot dog fingers and googly eyes.

Then there's the Oscars. Seven wins, including Best Picture, Best Director, and three acting awards. A historic sweep for a film that, for all its originality, still feels like an unconventional choice for such conventional recognition. Will it be remembered as a defining film of the decade, or as a momentary fascination? Hard to say. I can respect its meaning, I just found it difficult to get through without getting bored. Also not as emotional as it was painted out to be! 5.8/10.