Everything Everywhere All at Once, a Review from the Multiverse
So where do I start?
I guess I’ll start someplace in the beginning of the middle of the end or thereabouts. Since in Everything Everywhere All at Once it’s all is interconnected. Essentially the main character Evelyn is tasked with saving the multiverse from certain doom. Evelyn is an aging Chinese immigrant laundry coin-op owner struggling with taxes while redefining her relationships with her husband, father, daughter and self. Everything about her seems spiteful, as if she is trying too hard to make things right despite the universe having other plans. She wants to please everyone else, especially her disapproving father whom she had been alienated from, while simultaneously being disgusted by all around her and wholly dissatisfied with her circumstances whether or not she will admit it to herself. She becomes the embodiment of perfectionism, both assumed and projected.
She learns from a different iteration of her then-husband that she is the only one who can save the multiverse from certain doom, by reconnecting with other versions of herself in order to appropriate their skills. But she is warned not to get too close to her other selves or she could wind up becoming fractured. It’s way more complicated and intertwined than that, and I won’t give away any more. Partly because the glitter dust is still settling in my own mind. And partly because I don’t want to spoil the movie, which must be experienced for yourself to truly understand how multifaceted it is.
At any rate, the result is a heartfelt dark comedy about a mid-life crisis coming of age and journey into acceptance. So needless to say this resonated with me on a profound level, having played some of those cards from my own hand a few years back to now still be sorting out the good and bad consequences of those actions.
So what’s the multiverse like?
Honestly, I have no basis for comparison. I never saw Swiss Army Man by the same directors, though many have said that it also defies explanation and now I kind of want to. The closest I can say I’ve come is that this kind of like an amplified, more adult version of Scott Pilgrim Versus the World. Except that it’s so much more. Everything Everywhere All at Once has some similar reality checks, high action scenes, and transitions, but it takes them even further and alters its own reality, considering the deeper more profound implications that result from an older perspective, different relationships, and earning an R rating. It’s a much different story, not of love lost or gained or of teenage angst in existential crisis, but ultimately exploring the deeper meaning of family and truly connecting with others and oneself. It is about finding grace in unexpected situations.
So what does all this have to do with horror?
Well, considering the idea that every iteration of oneself could be interrelated beyond the decisions that lead them to become who they are at any given point is simply… terrifying. This movie represents a deep existential crisis beyond the psychological level, stripping bare the very fabric that makes us ourselves. What if…? Should I have…? What might have been…? Who could I have become…? There are reasons the answers to those questions typically lie beyond our comprehension, and the open exploration of these themes is a bit unsettling to say the least.
If you have never had a profound existential crisis, be glad that the multiverse isn’t depending on you to put yourself back together in its wake. It’s a horrific proposition. We should all be grateful not to be that important and not to be that needed. Not to belittle how special and unique each and every one of us are, but there is a point at which you’re way better off on the bench sitting that crisis out and hoping the coach doesn’t call you in to the middle of the crazy.
So, I thought this was a comedy – what gives?
When all is said and done, this movie is funny as Hell, and I mean that in the most desecrated smitten way. (And yes, I did choose those words intentionally, thank you very much.) Everything Everywhere All at Once is deep and thought-provoking but it also crosses over so many lines into absurdity and taboo without apology (or any sense that there is even a need to do so) that you can’t help but let yourself be led along laughing all the way at the irreverence.
Because, let’s face it, there is a dark humor to be found in those deep recesses of the psyche and in the release of that pent-up energy. You feel shamelessly tainted and dirty and free all at once. It opens the door to conversations hitherto unspoken, desires not yet acted upon, and selves never explored. And honestly there is a lot of humor in the release that comes from opening that door, like finally owning up to a totally inappropriate fart with pride. Like Shrek says, “Better out than in.”
I give Everything Everywhere All at Once 4.5 Cthulus.
(4.5 / 5)
Everything Everywhere All at Once opened up some intriguing conversations and thoughts about the reality we live in, and I very much enjoyed the action, humor, and consideration of the need for human connection. It all truly comes down to relationships: with others, ourselves, our reality, and our acceptance of that reality. That is Everything Everywhere All at Once, all neatly wrapped up in an existential bagel with everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) on it. Though in the past here on Haunted MTL, I admit to having preferred donuts to bagels…
We’ve reached the final episode of American Horror Stories, season three. After the ups and downs of the season, I didn’t know what to expect. I felt that we were due a big finish, Killer Queens. But I feared we were in for a big letdown.
As it turns out, The Thing Under The Bed was neither.
The story
We begin our story with a little girl named Mary, who is scared of something under her bed. She sneaks out of her room, only to be caught by her father and sent back to sleep. And of course, there is something horrible waiting for her under her bed.
This scene cuts away to a woman named Jillian. She has strange dreams, including one about Mary. But her husband, Mark, doesn’t want to hear about it. He’s only interested in a little lovemaking because he wants a baby. Jillian doesn’t, which makes total sense because she’s already married to one. But her irritation with her childish husband goes away when he goes away. And by goes away, I mean he’s sloppily devoured by something vicious under their bed.
What worked
In short, this episode just worked. The acting was professional and believable. The cinematography and lighting work were wonderful, adding spooky effects and startling moments without impairing visibility.
Best of all, the story was solid. There were no plotholes to be found. Our main character, Jillian, was relatable and sympathetic.
This was maybe my favorite part of the story. I thought Jillian was a remarkably sympathetic character. She was dealt a hand she never asked for, having her husband slaughtered in their bedroom. I don’t think she missed him, so much as she was afraid of the legal ramifications of being caught with literal blood on her hands.
Then, when it would have been safest for her to just lay low and save up for a good defense attorney, she instead goes into unlikely hero mode. She does her best to save people, putting herself in legal and physical danger. It’s hard not to root for her.
It’s also a little hard not to root for the antagonist, too. I don’t want to ruin the twist for you, so I’m going to tread lightly here. But it’s great when you have an antagonist who might be off their rocker, but also maybe has a point.
What didn’t work
I can only really think of one complaint with this episode. And that is how frequently one character says the word Chickadee. And if you’ve seen the episode, you know what I am talking about.
I get it, he has a pet name for his daughter. It’s adorable. It’s meant to convey that the two of them have a healthy loving relationship and I get it. We all get it. Blind monks get it. But the fact remains that no parent on Earth calls their kid by their pet name every single time they speak an individual sentence to them. It was just too damn much.
All in all, this was a good episode. It was a classic story, turned on its head, told by professionals from start to finish. And I hope that if there is another season, we see more stories like this one. But after the efforts put into this season at large, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the last we see of American Horror Stories.
(4 / 5)
If you’ve watched enough short-form horror anthology shows, you’ll notice that some stories are mainstays. Each show seems to put on the same sort of episodes, with the occasional surprising storyline that we’ve never (or at least rarely) seen before.
Leprechaun was an example of a repeated story—the story of a greedy thief whose punishment far outweighs the crime.
The story
We begin our story in 1841, with a drunk man leaving the bar one late night. He’s distracted by something glowing at the end of the well. When he reaches down for the glowing thing, he falls in. Moments later, he screams.
We then cut to the modern day. The well is still there, and now it’s surrounded by a dying town. In this town lives a young man named Colin. He’s married, his wife is pregnant, and he’s out of work. Like many of his friends.
Desperate for cash, Colin and his friends decide to rob a bank. They put together an Equate version of Ocean’s Eleven, and break in one night. But, of course, they find that the gold is nothing more than bait. And the creature waiting for them is something they never expected.
What worked
The first thing I want to point out is how real this episode felt. At least to anyone currently living in the same small town they grew up in. These characters felt like guys I went to school with. Guys I would see at the bar.
I appreciated the real anger and frustration these characters are feeling. Especially Colin. He’s bitter, and maybe he has a right to be. He did exactly what he was supposed to do to succeed. He went to school and invested in his career, and yet now he’s out of work and struggling to support his family. I probably don’t need to tell you how that feels. Because of this, we can all kind of understand why he was tempted to rob a bank.
I also want to talk about the fact that this was, as I said, an often-explored story. That can be a bad thing, but it can also be a good thing. This story is told over and over because it’s a good story. A relatable story. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
What didn’t work
That being said, this version didn’t try to do much to break out of the mold.
Because we have seen this story so many times, most of us could tell the story themselves. I would have expected something new, or some twist. But, in the end, the story didn’t bring anything new to the discussion.
Maybe because of this, the ending left a lot to be desired. Trapped in the basement of the bank, everyone just sort of stares at everyone else, until the thieves give up. And that’s it. The ending wasn’t scary, shocking, or funny. It was just sad, on multiple levels.
Overall, this was an okay story. It was entertaining, if not surprising. I would compare this episode to homemade macaroni and cheese. Everyone’s got their own version, they’re all pretty good, and none of them are exciting.
There’s just one episode left in this season of American Horror Stories. Let’s hope they’ve saved the best for last.
(3.5 / 5)
It happened. It finally happened. We got another good episode of American Horror Stories.
The story
We begin our story late at night, with a hospital security guard named Malcolm. He is frightened one night when he sees a woman with a distorted face in the hospital parking lot.
We then joined an RN named Claire. She’s doing her best to explain to a struggling mother that the hospital will not be able to treat her son with cancer because she can’t afford the treatment.
Not like she’s happy about it.
Fortunately, Dr. Nostrum, played by the legend Henry Winkler, swoops in at the last moment to tell the mother that her son qualifies for a special place in his cancer treatment clinic.
Claire is lamenting the fact that she became an RN to help people, but it feels like she isn’t doing anything good. Then, she and her friend Lilly stumble upon the same woman who menaced Malcom the night before.
While Claire is trying to figure out what’s wrong with this woman, she brutally slaughters an orderly and vanishes into the hospital. But not before struggling to say two words to Claire. Ward X.
What worked
I want to start by praising the effects of this episode. Because they were fantastic. Aided by the black and white filming, the bloody and distorted faces of Alice and her fellow victims are nightmarish. They look like a horrific version of Lockjaw taken to a terrifying extreme.
I also want to discuss the fantastic work of Henry Winkler. He is an absolute legend and never has a bad project.
Winkler’s character in this episode was exactly what we’d expect from him. He seems genuinely warm and kind, concerned about others’ well-being. Even when he’s planning to kill Claire, he comes off as such a caring guy.
Finally, I want to talk about the historical significance of this story. Because, like I always say, the scariest stories are the ones based on truth. And I’m sorry to say, this story has a basis in truth.
Mankind has a dark and twisted history when it comes to medical advances. Most doctors and scientists are good, moral people who abide by the first line of the Hippocratic oath, to first do no harm. Some, historically, are little more than monsters in white coats. Consider the Tuskegee Experiment, Unit 731, and the horrific acts of Josef Mengele. If you’re going to look up that middle one, be warned that it is NSFL.
While this episode of American Horror Stories was a work of fiction, it wasn’t that far off. I don’t think many of us want to admit how close to real life it was. This is the gift of good horror, to force us to come face to face with the worst aspects of humanity. To acknowledge them, accept them, and change them.
All in all, this was a perfect episode. The acting, the effects and the story were all top-shelf. And it’s certainly a story that will stick with you.
There are just two episodes left in this season of American Horror Stories. Let’s hope that they reach closer to the quality of X, and away from the dull and dismal episodes that began the second half of this season.
(5 / 5)
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