‘Everything Everywhere’ Deserves Best Picture. But We Can’t Ignore Its Biggest Flaw.
On Feb. 26, Everything Everywhere All at Once dominated the Screen Actors Guild Awards, winning best supporting actor, best supporting actress, best actress, and the big award of the night, best motion picture cast. That’s a record-breaking four acting wins for one film at the ceremony. Combine that with the top prizes at the Producers Guild and Directors Guild Awards, and Oscar domination is all but guaranteed.
That’s an exciting prospect, and not one many would have predicted when EEAAO came out all the way back in March 2022. Its odds of making any awards impact at all felt slim. Early calendar releases rarely remain in the awards conversation, let alone one starring primarily Asian actors.
Put simply, there’s a lot of EEAAO that’s worth celebrating. It’s an adventurous, enthusiastic, highly unusual film. People often lament the lack of creativity in American cinema these days, wondering why all they see are endless barrages of sequels and remakes. But EEAAO is a thrilling reminder that original storytelling still exists, and that it can be profitable. It’s the highest-grossing film released by big-deal indie distributor A24 to date, earning over $100 million. That’s an incredible number for an independent film.