It’s a testament to how far Hollywood has come in recent years that a mind-scrambling sci-fi action comedy, about a stressed Chinese American immigrant who has to save the multiverse, is leading the Oscars race with 11 nominations and is the favourite to win best picture – a standing reinforced by its sweep at the Screen Actors Guild on Sunday. The Academy likes serious prestige dramas; Everything Everywhere All at Once is anything but. It’s a ridiculously silly, outrageously hilarious and profoundly weird fantasy. And that’s exactly why it would be a worthy winner.
Made on a relatively modest budget of $25m by directing duo Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (collectively known as the Daniels), the surreal martial arts adventure seemingly came out of nowhere to become one of the biggest box office triumphs of the pandemic years. It’s increasingly rare these days for independent films to become commercial hits, but Everything Everywhere All at Once grossed more than $100m worldwide thanks to good old-fashioned word of mouth, with many fans heading back to the cinema for multiple viewings.
In an industry clogged with never-ending comic book adaptations, sequels, prequels and spin-offs, it takes balls, a febrile imagination and lots of googly eyes to come up with something genuinely surprising. Where else would you see a love scene enacted with plump hotdog fingers? Or fight sequences using a giant butt plug and a fanny pack as weapons? Or a lofty philosophical idea like nihilism represented by a huge, spinning bagel?
Some critics have grumbled that it is messy and overwhelming. But there are more fresh ideas in Everything Everywhere All at Once during its two-hour 20-minute runtime than there have been for the past year in the rest of Hollywood. Hopefully, Academy voters will realise that we need to applaud this kind of innovation.
All those ideas would be dismissed as mere gimmicks if the film didn’t have any heart to it, and that’s something Everything Everywhere All at Once has in buckets. If you take away the eye-popping visuals, multiverse battles and spectacular martial arts choreography, it boils down to a wholesome, universal story about family and the healing power of love and kindness.
Michelle Yeoh’s Evelyn is so bogged down by her failing launderette that she is shut off from her husband Waymond (Ke Huy Quan) and daughter Joy (Stephanie Hsu). The film follows her attempts to reconnect. As an exploration of generational trauma, the burden of regret and the meaning of life, it is genuinely affecting.
During his acceptance speech at the Gothams for best feature, Kwan revealed that fans have been sharing their own stories of trauma with the directors after screenings. Clearly, this is film-making that resonates with audiences on a deep emotional level.
Then there are the performances. Just as the story revolves around a woman who has been overlooked and ignored, you can sense that Yeoh, a bona fide action superstar who often has to play second or third fiddle in her Hollywood outings, knows that this is finally her time to shine. As she inhabits all the different versions of Evelyn across the parallel worlds, she delivers a phenomenal, multifaceted turn that is fierce, goofy and empathic.
The 60-year-old Malaysian star became the first performer of south-east Asian descent to be nominated in the best actress category and Yeoh could be heading for a history-making win. Only Cate Blanchett, who earned a nod for her performance as a power-hungry conductor in Tár, stands in her way.
Quan, a former child star who previously quit acting because of the lack of decent roles for Asian actors, is just as remarkable and dynamic as Evelyn’s put-upon husband Waymond. Having picked up prizes at most of the major awards this season (and given the most touching and emotional acceptance speeches), he is the favourite to win the best supporting actor Oscar, which would crown his astonishing comeback.
His co-stars Hsu and Jamie Lee Curtis, who are competing against each other for best supporting actress, are on less secure footing. But even if they don’t win, I can’t wait to see Curtis in full head cheerleader mode as she was at the Golden Globes, celebrating Yeoh’s win for best actress in a musical or comedy.
There’s nothing else quite like Everything Everywhere All at Once in the best picture shortlist. My only worry is that it could be considered too bizarre and over the top to lock in a win. I wouldn’t be surprised if Academy voters decided to play it safe by plumping for something cosy and familiar like The Fabelmans. But what a shame that would be.
If it does take home the award, it’ll be a resounding victory for original thinkers and original stories. Everything Everywhere All at Once illuminates the immigrant experience with daring, creativity and passion. It deserves that Oscar and many more on the night.
