How a discarded joke became a multiverse-shattering cinematic masterpiece
In short: What began as a throwaway joke about a bagel evolved into an Academy Award-winning epic. Beyond the surreal kung-fu and interdimensional leaps, the film explores profound existentialism, navigating the thin line between nihilistic despair and the radical power of human kindness.
The 2022 film *Everything Everywhere All at Once*, written and directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, is a genre-bending exploration of the multiverse. At its core is Evelyn Quan Wang, a Chinese-American immigrant running a struggling laundromat in Simi Valley, California. While facing an IRS audit, Evelyn discovers she must navigate parallel universes to prevent Jobu Tupaki—a version of her daughter, Joy, whose mind was fractured by 'verse-jumping'—from destroying existence via the 'Everything Bagel.'
The film's philosophical depth is rooted in themes of nihilism, absurdism, and generational trauma. The 'Everything Bagel' serves as a central symbol of Jobu's nihilism, representing a black hole-like singularity. The narrative tension arises from the conflict between Jobu's belief that 'nothing matters' and the character Waymond’s plea to practice kindness even when life feels senseless. This tension leads Evelyn to an existentialist epiphany, choosing empathy as a tool to repair her fractured reality.
The production was a feat of technical and creative persistence. The Daniels began researching multiversal concepts as early as 2010, influenced by the documentary *Sherman's March*. Despite the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, the crew completed 38 days of principal photography. To manage the massive data loads during the pandemic, the team used Resilio Sync. The film's visual success was achieved through an in-house team of just eight artists led by Zak Stoltz, utilizing tools like Adobe After Effects and Runway AI to bring the surreal landscapes to life.
The film's critical and commercial success was monumental. Against a budget of $14–25 million, it grossed $143 million. At the 95th Academy Awards, it won seven trophies, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress for Michelle Yeoh. The project also marked a significant return to the screen for Ke Huy Quan, whose casting was inspired by a viral meme.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Everything Everywhere All at Once
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