‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ Took Its First Steps Toward Sweeping Oscar Season
Award shows aren’t always as much an indication of a movie’s quality as they should be. After all, the Oscars, in particular, are known for being very political. But when it comes to 2022’s Everything Everywhere All At Once, the critically beloved movie could be starting down a path that might lead it to the kind of Oscar season love a film as popular as this one deserves.
‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ is the breakout hit of 2022
Everything Everywhere All At Once is the second movie from the writing-directing team of Daniel Kwan and Daniel Schienert. Known collectively known as “Daniels,” the duo first broke through with 2016’s wildly divisive Swiss Army Man. But their new movie is infinitely more ambitious, as it follows a Chinese-American woman (Michelle Yeoh) on a quest to save the entire multiverse.
Reportedly produced for a budget of $25 million, Everything Everywhere All At Once has turned out to be the rare independent film to cross over into mainstream success. Buoyed by near-universal rave reviews, the movie has brought in $92 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. Now the highest-grossing film produced by A24, the movie’s award wins begin.
The Michelle Yeoh movie just landed its first major awards sweep
Ahead of the Hollywood Critics Association’s (HCA) Midseason Awards, Everything Everywhere All At Once led the nominations with eight nods. The film went up against hits such as The Batman, RRR, and Elvisin key categories such as Best Picture. And in the end, Everything Everywhere All At Once took home seven of the eight awards for which it was nominated.
These include Best Picture, Best Actress for Yeoh, Best Supporting Actor for Ke Huy Quan, Best Supporting Actress for Stephanie Hsu, Best Directing, Best Screenplay, and Best Indie Film. And the only reason the movie couldn’t complete its sweep is because Hsu defeated co-star Jamie Lee Curtis – the category’s runner-up – in the Best Supporting Actress race.
‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ could dominate the Oscars
Needless to say, Everything Everywhere All At Once’s HCA wins bode well for its Oscar chances. While the HCA is only one critics’ group, it could translate into widespread acceptance of Daniels’ movie. Even many of the movie’s fans admit Everything Everywhere All At Once’s absurdist sense of humor might not work for everyone. So these early awards wins could help alleviate concerns the movie might be too unorthodox for the Academy Awards.
Moreover, Yeoh’s performance is widely considered a career-best work from an iconic star. If the HCA Midseason Awards are any indication, she could find herself at least an Oscar nominee next year. It remains to be seen just how far the movie can go. But at this point, things are certainly looking up for Everything Everywhere All At Once.
