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…
Episode two of Amazon Prime’s Fallout was equal parts funny and bloody. This almost always leads to a good time.
The story
We begin this episode with the birth of some puppies that look like they’ve had a rough start to life. Each one is weighed, with the ones who fall short being incinerated.
One pup who is just below the correct weight gets a bit of a thumb on their scale. The scientist weighing them, Wilzig, writes down the proper weight. He later takes the puppy home to raise instead of putting them into what looks like an unforgiving training program.
Eventually, we see Wilzig put some blue glowing thing into his neck. When a soldier comes for him, Dog attacks the soldier, and the two escape.
We go from there to the wilderness, where Lucy is recovering from the last episode and enjoying a campfire at night. Wilzig and Dog come out of the shadows, saving Lucy from a bug monster. Wilzig tells Lucy she should go home. And if she’s not going to go home, she needs to evolve.
The next day Lucy finds her way to a town called Filly. As a Pennsylvanian, it hurts me to spell it that way. Lucy is entranced by this town, though clearly put off by the fact that no one is very nice here.
She eventually finds her way to a shop run by a delightful woman named Ma June. Ma doesn’t seem particularly interested in helping Lucy. Or, frankly, having Lucy in her shop.
Or in her town.
Eventually, Wilzig is tracked to this same shop, being tracked by The Ghoul. This is our final primary character. Lucy defends Wilzig, being aided at the last moment by Maximus.
Maximus, by the way, has been having a terrible time. After finally becoming a squire he’s disappointed to find that his knight, Knight Titus, is a terrible person.
Fortunately, Maximus doesn’t have to put up with Titus for long. After Titus gets the bright idea to go hunting, he’s attacked by a mutated bear. Maximus freezes, unable to save him. Then, well, he decides not to save him.
It was Titus’s idea to go hunt the bear, after all.
What worked
The first thing I want to draw attention to is the shootout scene at Filly. This scene checked every box a fight scene should check. It was fun to watch, with great effects. But it also gave us insight into the characters. Lucy is a decent fighter and has a strong moral compass. The Ghoul is callus and desensitized to death. And Maximus continues to be, well, sort of bad at this whole fighting thing. But with enough moral fortitude that we have a hard time blaming him.
Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the dog. Who’s name, as far as I’ve been able to ascertain, is just Dog. Which is fine. He doesn’t need to have a name to be a very good boy. He’s sweet, loyal, and fearless.
Also, puppies. Puppies are always great.
Finally, I’d like to shine a spotlight on Lucy’s reaction to the world at large. She is both amazed and terrified by everything. And while she certainly doesn’t want to be rude, she also doesn’t want to be taken advantage of. The best example of this is when she stops to ask for directions with a bright smile and a gun.
Once again, I don’t have anything bad to say about this episode. It was funny, dark, and fun to watch. I’m very much looking forward to the rest of the season.
(4 / 5)
Launching with worldwide excitement, Fallout is based on the extremely popular game series of the same name. Fans of the series have waited with anticipation and trepidation to see if the Prime series would live up to the game.
Having now watched the first episode I can say that, so far, it’s successful.
The story
Our story begins with a children’s birthday party. A performer is there with his daughter, giving horse rides and taking pictures with the kids.
As much as the adults try to focus on the party and the kids, it’s impossible to ignore the looming threat of war that’s on everyone’s mind.
Of course, it’s during this party that war comes, and the bombs drop.
We then cut to after the war and into one of the vaults established to protect humankind and the American Way. For future reference, this is Vault 33. We meet Lucy, our first main character, who’s petitioning to be married to a man from Vault 32 to ensure DNA diversity.
On the wedding night, though, Lucy and the rest of Vault 33 are met with a horrible surprise. The group they let in is not in fact from Vault 32, but is instead a team of raiders from the surface. The raiders kill a lot of the vault dwellers and kidnap Lucy’s father.
We are then introduced to our second main character, Maximus. He is in training to become a Knight in the Brotherhood of Steel. And, well, he’s not doing great.
Things get worse when his best friend Dane becomes a squire before him. But when Dane is hurt, Maximus gets their spot.
We then go back to Lucy, who has decided to leave the vault and find her dad. Of course, the council of her vault doesn’t want her to go. So she is aided by her brother Norm and cousin Chet in a wild escape.
What worked
The first thing that deserves attention is the exceptional character work. Our three main characters are fleshed out and relatable right away. We feel sympathetic for The Ghoul before he’s even introduced as such. We love Lucy’s nativity and selflessness. And we love Maximus for his honesty and passion for his cause.
While these characters are their own people, they also exhibit the three responses we might expect to see in a post-apocalyptic world. We have the hopeful optimist who doesn’t understand how bad things are. We have the aspiring hero who wants to make the world better by force. And we have the self-serving individual who’s given up on the rest of humanity and is only focused on surviving.
Another thing I enjoyed about this episode was the balance of humor and gore. Because there was certainly enough blood and guts for even the most hardcore horror lover. We had a violent sabotage, a brawl with raiders, and even several nuclear bombs.
But there were a lot of funny moments as well. Usually from Lucy. Her overall goodwill and fearless gumption are absolutely hilarious, especially given the horrors she’s facing. It never ceases to amuse me.
Both of these aspects are done perfectly. The jokes land and the bloody scenes pull no punches. It was delightful.
All in all, this was an exciting start to a much-anticipated series. Here’s hoping they’re able to stick the landing.
For more tv shows based on video games, check out my review of Witcher.
(4 / 5)
Episode seven of American Horror Story Delicate was a classic AHS flashback episode. If you were excited to see what Preecher had to say to Anna at the end of the last episode, I’m sorry to say that you will not get that satisfaction. However, we did learn all sorts of other fascinating things about the strange coven hunting Anna. And, we learned all sorts of things we didn’t know about Dex’s first wife, Adeline.
The story
We begin our story with a woman giving birth alone in a barn. When it becomes clear that she’s not going to be able to deliver vaginally, she pulls out a knife and cuts her stomach open to pull out her children.
For whatever reason, this is when the coven of witches decides to make themselves known.
We then cut to 2013, when Dex was still married to Adeline. In true Dex fashion, he’s surprised her with a puppy.
While that sounds great in theory, dogs are something a couple should talk about, not gift each other with as a surprise. An adult would know that. A trust fund boy like Dex does not.
Adeline owns a vegan restaurant called Ave Hestia. Love that name. She seems to be living a great life. She has a career she’s passionate about, friends who love her, and a husband she seems kind of fond of.
Maybe that’s why she didn’t want a puppy. She already had one.
Of course, things aren’t as good as they appear. We soon find out that Adeline was one of those babies we saw at the start of the episode. The other baby was Sonia, the painter.
And yes, both of these characters are played by Annabelle Dexter-Jones.
Adeline has stepped away from their family, and whatever dark things they do. But the family isn’t happy with her decision. And if she isn’t going to come back willingly, they’re going to make her.
What worked
To start with, I loved the character, Adeline. She is fierce, she is fearless, and relentless. I feel like this would have been a far different story if Adeline had been our main character. It was astounding to see her interact with the same people Anna has, and get a completely different response. It’s clear now, how much everyone around Anna resents her for simply not being Adeline.
I also appreciated that there was just a shocking amount of blood in this episode. From the start when Adeline and Sonia are born, to the climactic end of Adeline, this episode is just drenched in blood.
Finally, I’m fascinated by the changes in this season from the book it’s based on. Because absolutely none of this was in the book. Compared to this, the book is heartwarming.
The book is kind of heartwarming even without the comparison.
But I love the fact that, even with just two episodes left in the season, I have no idea what’s going to happen. I do not know what Anna is carrying. I do not know if she’s going to survive this. I do not know what these people want with her.
But I can’t wait to find out.
What didn’t work
All that being said, it is a bit frustrating to have no forward momentum in this episode. This was all backstory, and it felt like there wasn’t enough backstory to fill a full forty minutes. Because of that, it dragged. There were a lot of scenes that just didn’t need to be as long as they were. It felt like they could have cut that down considerably, and had some time to check in with our main characters at either the start or the end of the episode.
There are only two episodes left in the season, and I can honestly say I have no idea what’s going to happen. But so far the story has been dark, bloody, and provocative. So I hope they can manage to end it on a high note.
(4 / 5)
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