“Everything Everywhere All at Once” is a 2022 sci-fi action-comedy film directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, collectively known as “Daniels.” The film stars Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, James Hong, and Jamie Lee Curtis. It presents a wild, imaginative narrative that blends elements of multiverse theory with an intimate family drama.
The film follows Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh), a middle-aged Chinese-American woman who runs a struggling laundromat with her husband, Waymond (Ke Huy Quan). The couple is preparing for a stressful IRS audit, conducted by the stern Deirdre Beaubeirdre (Jamie Lee Curtis). Evelyn is also dealing with family pressures, including her disapproving father, Gong Gong (James Hong), and her daughter, Joy (Stephanie Hsu), who is frustrated by Evelyn’s inability to accept her girlfriend, Becky (Tallie Medel).
During the meeting at the IRS office, Waymond suddenly shifts personalities, revealing that he is a version of Waymond from an alternate universe. He explains that countless parallel universes exist, each created by different choices made by every individual. This version of Waymond, from the “Alpha” universe, informs Evelyn that she is the key to saving the multiverse from a powerful and destructive force known as Jobu Tupaki.
Alpha Waymond explains that Jobu Tupaki is another version of Joy who has gone rogue, developing the ability to exist in all universes simultaneously and creating the “Everything Bagel,” a black hole-like entity that can consume everything. Jobu Tupaki’s actions are destabilizing the multiverse, and only Evelyn, with her untapped potential across all universes, can stop her.
Evelyn begins “verse-jumping,” a process that allows her to access the skills, memories, and abilities of her alternate selves across different universes. She experiences a multitude of lives, including those where she is a kung fu master, a famous actress, a hibachi chef, and a sign spinner. Each jump brings new challenges and skills, but also emotional revelations about her relationships and her own identity.
Evelyn learns to navigate the multiverse with the help of Alpha Waymond and encounters various bizarre and surreal worlds, including one where humans have hot dogs for fingers and another where she forms a romantic relationship with Deirdre. Throughout her journey, Evelyn struggles to understand the overwhelming chaos of the multiverse and her role in it.
Evelyn confronts Jobu Tupaki, realizing that the key to defeating her lies not in combat, but in understanding and empathy. Evelyn comes to understand the existential despair that Jobu Tupaki feels, stemming from the infinite possibilities and the lack of meaningful connections. Evelyn embraces her daughter, affirming her love and acceptance.
Through their confrontation, Evelyn learns to balance her life, accepting both the chaos and the beauty of the multiverse. She reconciles with her husband, mending their strained relationship by recognizing his kindness and optimism as strengths. Evelyn also reconciles with Joy, accepting her relationship with Becky and expressing genuine love and support for her daughter.
With the multiverse stabilized and Jobu Tupaki’s destructive actions halted, Evelyn returns to her primary universe. She faces the IRS audit with renewed confidence, drawing upon her experiences across the multiverse to find creative solutions to her problems.
The Other Cinema 