Everything everywhere all at once
*Warning Spoilers Included* If you haven't watched Everything Everywhere All At Once (EEAAO), I would highly recommend doing so and revisiting this blog after. But if you have watched the show, read on and rejoice with me on this masterpiece of a show.
I went to watch the show because of my love for Michelle Yeoh. What might have started as a cliche fondness for her because she is a fellow Malaysian, over the years, grew to my appreciation for Michelle’s acting skills. One day, my partner and I stumbled on a GQ interview Michelle did, breaking down her most iconic characters. I was moved by how open she was to share that she was bothered that Hollywood would only offer roles that fit her past personas—playing an older woman or action-packed supporting role. So, when she got the script for EEAAO, she was excited that finally, someone saw she could be the main character that portrayed comedy and sadness.
So I knew I had to go and watch EEAAO and understand what moved Michelle so much. I went to the cinema without even watching the trailer for this show. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. But by the movie's end, I was balling my eyes out. It was an emotional experience as I felt the film was made…for me. I felt seen and understood that somehow the Daniels (Daniel Scheinert, Daniel Kwan) and the whole creative team had managed to capture the chaos of emotions, thoughts, and life experiences that one goes through in about 2 hours in a movie. I felt that maybe the chaos I experienced in my head was normal and relatable.
The show was so multifaceted yet so relatable:
The relationship between Waymond and Evelyn made me appreciate my partner so much more. Honestly, I am Evelyn, the worrier in the relationship, and Waymond is my partner, the carefree soul with immense optimism. My favorite quote from the movie is from Waymond “You think because I’m kind that it means I’m naive, and maybe I am. It’s strategic and necessary. This is how I fight”
The relationship between Evelyn and Joy reminded me of my mother and our relationship. How I have always felt the longing of wanting more expression of love from my mother, and yet the Asian approach is to never show openly the love they have for each other.
Joy and the struggles she is having, and the analogy of the everything bagel to me just shows the depression she was facing and all the darkness she was internalizing ready to burst it all.
Then the genius visualization of when Joy was losing it and how the Daniels created a scene that critics described as an assault of the sense. This is precisely how I feel when you get to that dark place, and you feel like your thoughts are all over the place, and I felt so overwhelmed at how they managed to interpret that and place it on screen.
After the movie, I went to find interviews of the Daniels to understand their thought process and what made them make the show. It is incredible to hear that it actually took them 6 years of creating before the show was made. During the show's making, Daniel Kwan found out that he is diagnosed with ADHD. In an interview, someone who had just started screenwriting asked them for any advice for writing, and I loved their answer. “Write something that you’re going to grow from. It doesn’t matter who watches it or if it even gets made. It was worthwhile because you still went on that artistic journey”. To me this is it. The reason to create is to interpret your emotions and experiences and help you make sense of yourself.
Everything Everywhere All at Once is not a streamlined story. It is chaotic yet relatable, and it is comedic yet emotional. It's been a while since a movie moved me so much that I felt the need to pen down my thoughts on paper. I thank the Daniels and the whole team of Everything Everywhere All At Once for bringing to life this fantastic show.