And the Award Goes to: “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once”

Zoe Goor, Layout Assistant and Staff Writer

In Everything, Everywhere, All at Once, a bagel means everything, an auditor becomes an evil villain and two women with hot dog fingers play the piano with their feet. The film follows Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh), an average laundromat owner struggling to make ends meet, but things soon veer into the science fiction realm when Wang is informed that she must learn to jump between universes to fight in order to save the world(s).

The movie is a triumph – all at once thrilling, heartbreaking and stunning. The energy level is perpetually high, with Wang almost constantly transitioning between different parts of the multiverse: in one world, she is a famous actress; in another, she is a lifelike doll; in a third, she works spinning signs on a street corner; in a fourth, she is a rock with googly eyes. While the movie is cinematically breathtaking, the most beautiful aspect of the film is Wang’s journey to accept her daughter’s identity and and repair their relationship.

As Wang explores the various paths that her life could take, she realizes that she is happy with the choices that she has made. Although Wang’s character develops unusual superpowers, her character remains relatable and the dilemmas that she faces are amplified versions of everyday challenges. Wang’s rediscovery of her affection towards various members of her family during her odyssey across space and time is testament to the film’s overarching theme: Love conquers evil.