It’s been a few years since Evelyn Wang first swapped bodies with a version of herself that knew kung fu, and honestly, the dust still hasn't settled. When Everything Everywhere All at Once first hit theaters via A24, nobody—literally nobody—expected a chaotic indie flick about taxes and googly eyes to sweep the Oscars. But it did. It didn't just win; it redefined what a "woman-led movie" could actually look like in a market saturated with cookie-cutter superhero origin stories.
Evelyn isn't your typical cinematic hero. She’s tired. She’s judgmental. She’s failing a tax audit.
That’s exactly why she matters.
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The Evelyn Wang Effect: Redefining the "Strong Female Lead"
For decades, Hollywood thought a "strong woman" meant a male action hero with a ponytail. You know the type. They have no flaws, they never sweat, and they definitely don't worry about the laundry. Then came the Daniels (directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert) and Michelle Yeoh. They gave us a woman who is drowning in the mundane.
Evelyn is a messy protagonist.
She's someone who has "given up" on her dreams to run a struggling laundromat with a husband she barely understands anymore. Most movies about women in their 50s relegate them to the background—the nagging mother or the supportive wife. Here, her very "failure" is her superpower. The movie argues that because Evelyn is so bad at everything in this universe, she has the potential to be anything in another.
It’s a massive middle finger to the idea of a "perfect" life.
The complexity of the mother-daughter relationship between Evelyn and Joy (Stephanie Hsu) is the actual spine of the film. It’s not about saving the world from a big purple guy in space; it’s about a mother finally seeing her daughter as a whole person. That is a high-stakes conflict. If you’ve ever felt the weight of parental expectations, that scene in the hallway at the end hits harder than any multiverse-shattering explosion.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Nihilism
A lot of critics at the time—and some viewers on Reddit still—argue that the movie is "too much." They call it sensory overload. They see Jobu Tupaki’s "Everything Bagel" as a symbol of pure hopelessness.
They’re kinda missing the point.
The film acknowledges that, yes, the universe is terrifyingly huge and we are basically specks of dust. But it doesn't leave you there. It moves through nihilism into what people are now calling "Optimistic Nihilism." If nothing matters, then the only thing that actually matters is being kind. Especially when you’re confused.
Waymond Wang (Ke Huy Quan) is the secret weapon here. In any other movie, Waymond would be the "weak" character because he’s nice and likes putting googly eyes on things. But the movie flips that. His kindness is a choice. It’s a strategic move in a world that tries to crush you.
"The only thing I do know is that we have to be kind. Please, be kind. Especially when we don't know what's going on."
That line isn't just a meme. It's a manifesto for surviving the 2020s.
The Production Magic You Probably Didn't Notice
You’d think a movie this visual would have a crew of a thousand people. Nope. The visual effects were mostly done by a core team of five people. Five. They used relatively standard tools and did a lot of the work in their bedrooms during the pandemic.
This is crucial because it proves that "spectacle" doesn't require a $200 million budget. It requires a specific vision. The Daniels used practical effects whenever possible—like the actual fans blowing paper or the "fanny pack" fight choreography—to keep the madness grounded in something we can see and feel.
Jamie Lee Curtis also deserves a massive shout-out here. She played Deirdre Beaubeirdre without any "flattering" prosthetics. She wanted the belly. She wanted the "office lady" aesthetic to be real. This commitment to the unvarnished truth of being human is what makes the absurdist elements—like the hot dog hands—actually work. If the characters weren't grounded, the weird stuff would just be weird for the sake of it.
Why This Movie Still Dominates the Conversation
We live in a fragmented world. Between social media, constant news cycles, and the feeling that we should be doing "more" with our lives, we are all living in our own personal multiverses. Everything Everywhere All at Once captured that specific anxiety better than any documentary could.
It deals with:
- The immigrant experience and the "what if" of leaving home.
- The generational trauma passed down from parents who just wanted a better life.
- The crushing weight of administrative existence (taxes, man).
- The feeling that your life is just a series of missed opportunities.
When Evelyn sees the version of herself that became a movie star, she’s devastated. We’ve all been there. Looking at someone else’s Instagram and wondering why we didn't take that one chance five years ago.
But the movie’s "fantastic" element isn't the multiversal travel. It’s the moment Evelyn decides that even in a world where she has hot dogs for fingers, she’d still want to be with the people she loves. That is a radical choice.
Actionable Takeaways for the Modern Viewer
If you're looking to dive deeper into why this film works or how to apply its "vibe" to your own media consumption, here’s what you should actually do.
1. Watch the "Symmetry" in the editing. The editor, Paul Rogers, used a technique where he cuts between vastly different universes but keeps the character's eyes in the exact same spot on the screen. It prevents you from getting a headache despite the fast cuts. Try to spot it during the "verse-jumping" sequences.
2. Re-evaluate the "Waymond" in your life. We often overlook the people who use kindness as a shield. The movie challenges us to see that as a form of bravery. Stop equating "loud and aggressive" with "strong."
3. Look into the "Daniels" filmography. If you liked this, you need to see Swiss Army Man. It’s weirder, sure, but it carries the same heart. It helps you understand their obsession with the "gross" or "absurd" being a gateway to deep emotion.
4. Practice "Active Kindness" in chaos. When things get overwhelming—whether it's at work or in your personal life—remember the Bagel. If nothing matters, you might as well be the person who makes someone else's day a little less sucky.
The legacy of Everything Everywhere All at Once isn't the trophies. It’s the fact that a movie about a middle-aged Chinese woman fighting a giant bagel made the entire world cry. It proved that original stories aren't dead; they just need to be brave enough to be weird.
How to carry this forward:
Stop looking for the "perfect" version of your life in another universe. It doesn't exist. Instead, focus on the "laundromat" version of your life right now. The beauty isn't in the potential; it's in the messy, audited, chaotic reality of the present. Whether you're a filmmaker, a writer, or just someone trying to get through the week, the lesson is the same: embrace the noise, find your people, and don't forget to put googly eyes on the things that scare you.