In the aftermath of the pandemic, the preference for how we digest our visual stories has changed. We were totally tracking towards what I like to call “couch cinema” over the last decade before the shutdown, but “Netflix and chill” has now become a mantra rather than a third or fourth date “hangout”.

With subscription services like HBO Max now offering movies that are still in the theater online to be streamed from home, the film industry seems to be trending towards catering their productions to the small screen rather than the big screen.

“Everything, Everywhere, All at Once” is a sensational reminder that some stories just need to be experienced in a theater on a huge screen surrounded by strangers.

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As I sit here trying to figure out a way of describing what I saw, I find myself at a loss to do so without just riddling this piece with spoilers. Like the title says, there is A LOT going on during this film. It does not take long for our protagonist, Evelyn Wang (played brilliantly by Michelle Yeoh), to find herself caught up in the insane events of the story, but even as her world gets turned upside, the viewer never feels totally overwhelmed.

The Daniels (Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert) took the concept of the multiverse (a trending subject over the last few years in cinema and TV) in a completely unique and fascinating direction. Even in the looming shadow of “Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness”, the Daniels put out something wonderfully beautiful without needing super heroes to do it. While the “linked consciousness across the multiverse” idea has been seen in other stories across the mediums, how the Daniels get their characters to tap into their “other” selves is belligerently hilarious; when your algorithm for conscious jumps is linked to doing something you wouldn’t normally do, the results are utterly fantastic.

The way the film is paced is expertly done; even as the story accelerates into unknown territories, the sudden changes of beat would let the viewer catch their breath and get ready for the next big thing. It also has some of the most awesome visual effects you’ll see ever occur inside a IRS building, with the kind of stellar fight sequences we all know Yeoh has been capable of for decades. The technical work of this film, from the cinematography to the editing, should definitely be getting some award nominations next spring.

The viewer is taken on a roller coaster of emotions throughout this tale; I went from laughing from the robust vulgarity of a mid-film fight scene involving a trophy and a flying, bare-assed security guard to experiencing all the feels in the film’s climatic moments. They tell a story that is both vastly complex and beautifully simple because at the heart of the madness, “Everything, Everywhere” is really a story about a mother and her daughter.

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The most important aspect of this film’s greatness, however, comes back to the cast and their performances. Yeoh gives us a performance as Evelyn that is so nuanced and complex that I get goosebumps thinking about some of her scenes several days after my viewing. The multiverse concept enabled her to provide a wide scope of different versions of Evelyn and really showcased her exceptional talents.

Stephanie Hsu turned in a star-turning performance as Evelyn’s daughter, Joy, while Ke Huy Quan is hilarious and heartbreaking as Evelyn’s husband, Waymond. Jamie Lee Curtis as the cynical IRS auditor, Deirdre, is an unexpected joy as the multiverse concept allows all three of these actors to really shine. Every actor is called upon to make several different performances in the film, and every single one of them is up for the challenge.

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“Everything, Everywhere, All at Once” will look beautiful on my TV when it comes to DVD and streaming services later in the year. No doubt I will watch it within days of it being available for the couch cinema.

For those of you who have yet to see this film, I would recommend putting on your most comfortable theater clothes and strap yourself in for 140 minutes of glory at your local theater. The experience is one you will not soon forget.

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• Film: Everything Everywhere All at Once”
• Director: The Daniels
• Release: 2022
• Currently available: In theaters