Everything I Could

Everything Everywhere All at Once is a 2022 American independent absurdist comedy-drama film written and directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, who produced it with Anthony and Joe Russo and Jonathan Wang. The film incorporates media from several genres, including surreal comedy, science fiction, fantasy, martial arts films, and immigrant narrative. Michelle Yeoh stars as Evelyn Quan Wang, a Chinese-American immigrant who, while being audited by the IRS, discovers that she must connect with parallel universe versions of herself to prevent a powerful being from destroying the multiverse. The film also stars Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, James Hong, and Jamie Lee Curtis. Kwan and Scheinert began work on the project in 2010, and began writing the film's script in 2016. Production was announced in 2018, and principal photography ran from January to March 2020. The works of Hong Kong film director Wong Kar-wai, as well as the children's book Sylvester and the Magic Pebble and the video game Everything, served as inspiration for several scenes. Also inspired by contemporary scholars such as philosopher Mary-Jane Rubenstein, the film explores philosophical themes such as existentialism, nihilism, surrealism, and absurdism, as well as themes such as neurodivergence, depression, generational trauma, and Asian American identity. Its soundtrack features compositions by Son Lux, and collaborations with Mitski, David Byrne, André 3000, John Hampson, and Randy Newman. Everything Everywhere All at Once premiered at South by Southwest on March 11, 2022, and began a limited theatrical release in the United States on March 25, before a wide release by A24 on April 8. It grossed $143 million against a $14–25 million budget. The film garnered widespread acclaim from critics and received numerous accolades. At the 95th Academy Awards, it won seven out of the eleven awards it was nominated for: Best Picture, Best Actress (Yeoh), Best Supporting Actor (Quan), Best Supporting Actress (Curtis), Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for Kwan and Scheinert, and Best Editing. The film also won two Golden Globe Awards, five Critics' Choice Awards (including Best Picture), a BAFTA Award, and a record four SAG Awards (including Best Ensemble).