Everything Everywhere All At Onceis undeniably shaping up to be an enduring classic for many years to come, though you wouldn’t know it from its placement on the recently releasedNew York Timeslist of the 100 best movies of the 21st century. This list scours prestige cinema of the last 25 years, from poignant indie dramas to daring blockbusters.
Overall, the list is a thoughtful and apt ranking of what are sure to become the most important films of the 21st century. However, there are arguably a few glaring misplacements, most notablyEverything Everywhere All at Once, which only barely manages to nudge past the cut-off point at a mere 77th place.
Everything Everywhere All at Oncetells the story of Evelyn, an exhausted laundromat owner who has struggled as a wife, mother, and businesswoman, watching her relationships and laundromat fall apart at the seams. Everything changes when she’s thrust into the center of an interdimensional war waged by a nihilistic version of her own daughter, forcing her to scour the multiverse for meaning.
Everything Everywhere All at Once has practicallyeverything one could want in a film, from spectacularly choreographed fight scenes to endearing humor and intricate character arcs written with true heart behind them. It’s easy to see why the film swept the2023 Academy Awards, taking home the coveted Best Picture Oscar.
Everything Everywhere All At Once Deserved Better Than #77 On NYT’s Poll
Especially When Considering What Ranks Higher
In truth,Everything Everywhere All at Oncedeserves far better than 77th on theNew York Times' list, remaining underrated. The film’s shockingly low position could be chalked up to being just old enough to be looked at with far too much scrutiny while no longer fresh enough to still be highly praised ubiquitously.
Looking at the films that sit ahead of it, it becomes blatantly obvious that it deserved higher than the last quarter of the list.Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstansits at 53 andHersits at 24, and in my personal estimation,Everything Everywhere All at Onceclears both of them easily.
If anything,Everything Everywhere All at Oncedeserves to fall somewhere within the top 40, possibly even the top 30. The film has every reason to pull ahead of the pack, but has been disparagingly relegated to a spot that suggests it was only barely able to squeak on to the list at all.
It can be argued thatEverything Everywhere All at Onceis afilm that requires multiple viewingsto get the most out of, with every split-second detail of the film’s kaleidoscopic depiction of the multiverse too easy to miss in a single watch alone. Perhaps the 500 stars, industry professionals, and famous film fans polled byThe New York Timeshadn’t yet gotten around to a second viewing.
Some Say Everything Everywhere All At Once Is Overrated - I Disagree
Contrarians Are Frightened By The Film’s Unique Appeal
Recency bias is always a tricky thing to look out for, butEverything Everywhere All at Oncehas suffered from a bizarre twist on this cognitive phenomenon. Instead of being overrated due to its nascence, the film has actually quickly become subject to harsh retroactive criticism that undermines its genuine value for no reason other than to be contrarian.
Watch it and have fun before film Twitter tells you it’s overrated.
The film’s dreadful retroactive criticism can best be chalked up by aLetterboxd review by CosmonautMarkie, the account of film YouTuber The Cosmonaut Variety Hour, which reads “Watch it and have fun before film Twitter tells you it’s overrated”. Sadly, the sentiment this review refers to has spread far beyond Twitter, but sums up the prevailing sentiment.
Detractors will cite the rapid pace and assault to the sensesEverything Everywhere All at Onceprovides as a point of contention, calling it overloaded, random, and chaotic. But none of these descriptions need to exist in opposition to quality, and such statements grossly overlook the poignant emotional core the spectacle surrounds.
Just for daring to be entertaining,Everything Everywhere All at Oncehas found itself turning over in public opinion. I still firmly regardEverything Everywhere All at Oncehighly as a generational film that cracks the top 50 of the 21st century’s most important and captivating.
