“Everything, Everywhere, All at Once,” January 11, 2023 (2022), DVD. Hang on to your hats for this wonderful, chaotic, breathtaking sci-fi comedy cum family melodrama that merges both genres and dimensions at the same time from writers/directors Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinter (The Daniels). It’s a serious hoot and a challenge to follow because of the speed of transitions in story line and scene. Evelyn Wang (a brilliant Michelle Yeoh) is a harried housewife, owner of a coin laundry, and mother to a lesbian daughter, Joy (an excellent Stephanie Hsu), she does not get on with or, really, accept. Her husband (a remarkable Ke Huy Quan) is desperate to regain a connection with her as she disparages him and their daughter for their many failings. Her father, Gong Gong (a wonderful James Hong) is visiting but is always there.
They’re under investigation by the IRS, in the person of Deirdre Beaubeirdre (a miraculous Jamie Lee Curtis) when Evelyn becomes aware that they’re all part of an interdimensional reality of mass destruction choreographed by one of her daughter’s other selves, the apostle of chaos and meaninglessness, Jobu Tupaki. They slide from from dimension to dimension, have insane kung fu fights with fanny packs and dildos, experience some of their innumerable selves including an insane dimension where people have hot dog fingers, and confront their realities as individuals and as a family. In the end, it’s all about love.
This is a miracle of production with deranged costuming and stunts. It’s also a deeply emotional yet very funny movie. The writing, directing, photography, and acting are superb.
See this one. The Special Features on the DVD are well worth the time for a sense of how the film was made and what it’s all about.