With Marvel having taken over the world of cinema in terms of multiverses and time travel it was really fun to watch a film that was in no way connected to that franchise do it themselves in a way that made it feel fresh and exciting.

Everything Everywhere All at Once follows a couple who own a laundrette and have a daughter who has a girlfriend, which the parents have no issue with but worry that the mother’s slowly worsening father will not take the news lightly. Things change however when the husband of the couple is taken over by another version of himself in a different world and tells his wife that she is in danger and she needs to save the world.

Of course if anyone was in this situation I don’t think you’d believe them because it would be so absurd, so to see if done in such a realistic way of the wife thinking there’s no way this is actually happening was really funny to watch, and as you realise that it is actually true the stakes become monumental.

I especially enjoyed the quips and quick moments that happened throughout this film including the need to do something weird and abstract to make yourself jump to a different version of yourself in the universe, because it added that element of comedy that I think can sometimes be lacking in these sorts of films. And the fact that all the characters are really interesting and lovable, even the big baddy, was really fun because you were rooting for them all regardless of their backgrounds and as they kept jumping between different versions of themselves you just got to know this character so much more and love them so much more.

With the multiverse in this film we don’t actually go to the different universes, we go to a few but not many, but really it’s more for the main character to be able to pull the skills from that universe into their current world. So if they need to become a kickboxing champion they can, if they need to become a world-class singer they can, but we never actually go to those other worlds, we stay in our own and just pull those skills from them which I think is a really interesting and different way of portraying how these worlds intertwine.

This movie is slow and I do wonder if this movie is more for people who enjoy filmmaking rather than sitting down and enjoying a film itself. I recently watched it with a friend of mine because I really enjoyed it and they simply could not get into it because it was too slow and in their words ‘self-serving’. Of course being a film critic I really enjoy seeing all those little moments and how things are done and how different filmmakers can dive into the same sort of storyline and plot but in a new and interesting way, but as a standalone film that you can just sit and watch and drift off into it’s not really that sort of thing.

I definitely think if you enjoy superhero films you’ll enjoy this one, if you enjoy the artistry of filmmaking you’ll enjoy it, but if you want something to put on and melt away and not have to think then this is definitely not for you. I absolutely adore this film and I found it such a fun film to watch because of all the little moments within it, but I do understand as someone who just wants to watch a film and that’s it, it may be a bit too complex and need too much of your attention to actually just sit back and enjoy.

What do you think of Everything Everywhere All at Once?

Until next time.

Published by shonaharding

Media graduate with a passion for reviewing film and TV. View all posts by shonaharding