How E.E.A.A.O. is literally every movie all at once ?

Starring Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu & Ke Huy Quan

Stranger Things. Inception. Bandersnatch. Minari. Zombieland. And god knows how many. The film, Everything Everywhere All At Once, is literally every movie/series you’ve ever watched. But here’s the twist - all of it is now condensed into one. Even though it might be the greatest work of inspiration you’ve seen, it isn’t necessarily the most exclusive one out there and I’m here to tell you exactly why. Here’s how I think the narrative of this particular film clashes with the ideas represented in so many others.

If you’ve seen Stranger Things, you will be familiar with the theme of alternate dimensions being surrounded by other-worldly threats. In simple words, The Upside Down. This notion is repeated in E.E.A.A.O. when the setting of these parallel universes has a new concept, such as that of long fingers, being introduced each time. Of course, what makes them different is their contrasting genres of a horror-mystery series put against the action-packed, humorous film.

Much like the last, Inception is another film dealing with a very similar background. Think about it. Endless realities. Different planes of existence. And one central protagonist. Sounds familiar, right? And despite both storylines sharing a number of other similarities, they end up unraveling themselves in a distinct way. While one is focused on a heist of planting an idea, the other is more concerned with the family relationship overpowering any sort of obstacle. Even if it’s your mother trying to kill you in one of the dimensions. Lol.

Part of the anthology series Black Mirror, Bandersnatch is an episode on Netflix where the viewer gets to decide the fate of their character. Both these visuals adjoin at the point where you realize that the central figure needs to defeat the multiple timelines in order to defeat the force opposing them. At the end, both artworks boil down the personal choice of lead, or well, the audience. However, the light-hearted, comedic film still stands in contrast with the dark and dystopian trope in Bandersnatch.

Both dramas; Minari and E.E.A.A.O. revolve around family dynamics and their struggles to adapt to new surroundings. Moreover, they lay attention on the matching themes of immigrant-experience and assimilation. But just like the rest, the key differentiating factor between the two is the realistic, grounded portrayal of such families in Minari as compared to the supernatural and fantastical one in E.E.A.A.O.

Consisting of a potent female lead, Zombieland is another film I was reminded of while watching E.E.A.A.O. Now, I know they’re very different. But if you differentiate Jamie Lee Curtis’s physical appearance with the resemblance of the zombies in the post-apocalyptic world in Zombieland, they are very much the same. Most zombie-films don’t have such distinguishable demeanors of zombies, because obviously we don’t know how zombies would actually look like had they existed in the real world. But this one definitely does. Not just that, these films also tackle very serious and corresponding conflicts with hilarity. In here, the polarity remains in the entire narrative otherwise.

Even though the film captures the essence of a lot of others, it’s not the only one. It is not uncommon for directors to pay homage to their influences and nor is it infrequent to derive inspiration out of earlier works to create something entirely fresh and new for the viewers. And that is why it is true that the film is yet a unique and enjoyable treat for whoever is watching it.

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Directed by Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert

Produced by Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Mike Larocca, Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert, Jonathan Wang, Peter Tam Lee

Written by Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert

Starring

• Michelle Yeoh

• Stephanie Hsu

• Ke Huy Quan

• James Hong

• Jamie Lee Curtis

Music by Son Lux

Cinematography by Larkin Seiple

Edited by Paul Rogers Production company: IAC Inc, Ley Line Entertainment, AGBO, IAC Films

Distributed by A24

Release date: March 25, 2022

Running time: 2 hours 19 minutes