Well, well, well, it looks like awards season hasn’t been a complete wash after all. The SAG awards proved as much last night, when Michelle Yeoh won the Best Performance By Female Actor, for her starring role in Everything Everywhere All At Once. Yeoh made history as the first Asian woman to receive the accolade. During her acceptance speech, she reflected on what the award meant to her community. “I think If I speak my heart will explode,” she said to the cheering crowd. “SAG-AFTRA, to get this from you who understand what it is to get here… This is not just for me, this is for every little girl who looks like me.” If you haven’t already seen Everything Everywhere All At Once, take Yeoh’s win as a sign to do so.
The film—which was one of Esquire’s Best Movies of 2022—follows Evelyn Quan (Michelle Yeoh), an overworked mother who discovers she can travel between dimensions. When she’s approached by a version of her husband (Ke Huy Quan) from an alternate universe, Evelyn embarks on a journey to save the world—and her fleeting relationship with her daughter (Stephanie Hsu). Though the film is labeled as an action-comedy, those who have seen it would tell you it’s much, much, more. By exploring the possibility of a multiverse, the film teaches an important lesson about loving the life you’ve been given.
Everything Everywhere All At Once premiered on March 11, 2022, to rave reviews. In an interview with Deadline, Kwan and his co-director, Daniel Scheinert, spoke about the film’s success. “I think we knew,” Scheinert said. “But the reception still humbled us and freaked us out. And it was the first time we got a taste of just how much people resonated with the emotional side of the movie, not just the action.” Kwan continued, “I don’t think we’d be happy if we only made a fun action movie, and I don’t think we’d be happy if we only made a philosophical treatise.” Luckily for them, Everything Everywhere All At Once is the perfect blend of both.
If you still want to see the film, you can find it on Showtime, Amazon, Apple TV, and Hulu. Enjoy, fellow travelers of the multiverse.
Associate Staff Writer
Bria McNeal is a Manhattan based journalist who is patiently awaiting B5’s revival. When she’s not writing about all things entertainment, she can be found watching TV or trying to DIY something (likely, at the same time). Her work has appeared in NYLON, Refinery29, InStyle, and her personal newsletter, StirCrazy.