Movie Cover

You think because I'm kind that it means I'm naive, and maybe I am. It's strategic and necessary. This is how I fight.

# Review

This movie has literally a little of everything; from heartfelt family moments to classic thriller scenes. It follows Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh), a middle-aged immigrant who is struggling to balance all her responsibilities, as a daughter to Gong Gong, her ailing father (James Hong), as a mother to her daughter Joy (Stephanie Hsu), and as the owner of a laundromat she runs with her husband Waymond Wang (Ke Huy Quan). Evelyn gets pulled into a cosmic adventure where she has to navigate multiple universes to save them from a growing evil.

The storyline is insane in the best way possible; it takes innumerable twists and turns and I never knew which direction the plot will go. The science fiction aspect is very interesting and at times, the film felt like Dirk Gently in its absurdity. There were so many references and easter eggs for film aficionados; the references range from the obvious, such as the gag about Ratatouille, to the subtle, such as the reference to cinematography In the Mood for Love. There were also some very beautiful shots and interesting action sequences (the scene with the trophy is perhaps one of my favorites from the entire film).

Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis both played very entertaining supporting characters, but Yeoh’s Evelyn and Hsu’s Joy are definitely the stars of the show. The chemistry they have as mother and daughter, I’m sure, is relatable for most East Asians growing up in North America. Yeoh’s portrayal of an immigrant mother is especially relatable to me as she constantly scolds her daughter for getting fat and mispronounces English words.

There were so many themes being explored in the film, many of which are obvious, such as the generational gap between parent and child. My favourite theme, however, was the exploration of cosmic nihilism. The film, for me, portrayed Albert Camus’ solution to nihilism, namely that despite there being no “meaning” in the universe, one can still lead meaningful lives.

# Conclusion

A surprisingly philosophical film about the multiverse.

# Overall rating: 8.4

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