“Everything, Everywhere, All at Once” is the latest film from independent film studio A24. It follows Evelyn (portrayed by Michelle Yeoh), a struggling Chinese-American woman who is thrust into the stretches of the multiverse after having a fight with her daughter and being audited by the IRS. It’s funny, it’s creative, it’s heartwarming, and it’s insanely well-choreographed. Is it the “best film in history” as some are calling it? No. It drags for way too long, and it’s pretty frustrating to see all this lore and sci-fi crumble down when you realize it’s probably not even real and just a projection of our protagonist’s situation. Nonetheless, it’s a phenomenal film, worthy of (most of) the praise, 5 stars, 10/10, an “A.”
A Whole Host of Good Movies. Why is Nobody Seeing Them?
That’s it! That’s the review, folks!
All jokes aside, I don’t think I can say anything that hasn’t already been said about this film. A24 knows how to make a good movie now; so don’t be surprised when you see this as the frontrunner for all the Academy Awards next year. And with “X” being a solid flick, and “Men, Marcel the Shell With Shoes On,” and “Bodies, Bodies, Bodies” on their way this year, it seems the film studio has their work cut out for them. And that’s just A24. Robert Eggers’ “The Northman” seems to be doing pretty well. Jordan Peele’s “Nope” looks interesting. There’s a whole pantheon of quality, original films on the horizon, that will continue to receive critical respect.
So why is nobody seeing them?
116 days. That’s how long “Spider-Man: No Way Home” was in theaters for. Through 5 months. I could have had half a baby in that time. I could have had a dentist appointment and almost be ready for my next one in that time. 116 days. The day I saw “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once” was April 9th, 10 days after the initial release. My local AMC had four showings of the film: two matinees, one afternoon, and one evening. 10 days later and it only had four showings. That very night, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” was on its last legs, 113 days after its release. It only had one showtime: 7:30 PM. Prime movie time. A very impressive movie time for a film 5 MONTHS from its initial release. Now, a mere 28 days since the release as of writing this, “EEAAO” has only three showings at my local AMC. Around that time for “Spider-Man,” there were probably up to seven showings.
The Blockbusters Bring in the Dollars; but Where Does that Leave Original Films?
A24 slasher ‘X’ is even worse. I saw that one on April 12th, 25 days after the release. There were only two showings there, the matinee I attended with my good friend Stephen (and the only other man there who decided to sit right next to us) and a late night showing at around 9 PM. I can’t speak for the 9 o’clock showing, but I’m willing to bet money there weren’t a lot of seats sold. Now, 39 days from the initial release, there are a whopping 0 showtimes for a film starring Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, and Kid Cudi.
Now listen, I love superhero flicks as much as the next guy. Hell, approximately 33% of my reviews are about them (I calculated it). Not only that, but these films are credited for revitalizing the entire film industry after the lows of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Is it an Instance of a Snake Eating its Own Tail?
The truth is, if it were not for films like “Spider-Man” and “The Batman” bringing in so many watchers, the industry would be in huge trouble. “Spider-Man” grossed $800+ million dollars domestically, with “The Batman” making $400+ million dollars domestically (a smaller scale and smaller budget film). These movies get people in their seats, so why wouldn’t theaters make sure to have as many showings as they can? From a commercial standpoint, sidelining showtimes of indie or lower budget films makes sense. The more theaters they can fill, the more money they can make, the more their theaters can thrive. Who cares if another arthouse film falls by the wayside and has to leave theaters not three weeks after its release? It’s a “snake eating its own tail” situation. The less money a type of film makes, the less showtimes they’ll play for it, which means it’ll make less money. Meanwhile, the 15th Superman reboot rakes in two billion dollars!
For a financial comparison, “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once” worldwide Box Office so far is $29 million dollars. That is more than 20 times less than “Spider-Man: No Way Home” made on its opening weekend. I can’t only blame theaters, though. In the time of a global pandemic, people are very selective with what they choose to spend their money on. The fact is, mega-franchises are more reliable for the common viewer. The average watcher will see a Marvel or Star Wars or Harry Potter film and expect it to be pretty good. They know some of the characters, some of the lore, enough for them to sit back and bathe in B+ material. It’s comfortable, you’re sure it’s pretty good, because how could it sell a trillion tickets otherwise? Smaller budget films aren’t like that—it’s a risk. These are new characters, new situations, and that’s really scary.
Our Take: See More Indies
I know. This argument has been said a billion times by every Film Bro on Twitter. But the fact is, these huge franchises by Disney and Warner Bros. and Sony are revamping film sales, but destroying the films themselves. Sure these Marvel films are fun, but how many more can the masses take before inevitably having their eyes glaze over? Take Sony’s upcoming and recent Marvel films, with “Morbius” being a critical bomb and the upcoming “El Meurto” being one of the most puzzling studio decisions of all time (seriously, this character has been in two comic-book issues. Two).
Again, I’m not trying to hate on this big-budget franchises. I truly get a lot out of them. But when truly phenomenal films such as “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once” is not getting the right time of days, it’s time to stand up. So please. See “EEAAO.” See “X.” See “The Northman.” See “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.” See “Men.” See “Nope.” See them all, before original movies are dead.
