‘Everything, Everywhere, All at Once’ is mind-boggling metaverse film you didn’t know you needed

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” is a strange, weird, and unexpectedly emotional kung fu/science fiction/metaphysical action comedy that you didn’t know you wanted, but could enjoy. “Might” succeeds in this area because, while the picture will find its audience, the dizzying nature of it will not be for everyone.

On the bright side, it’d be difficult to ruin a film that moves at such a breakneck pace and is based on the Marvel-esque idea that there is an unlimited multiverse of possibilities, with distinct worlds generated by the many decisions we make along the way.

All of this comes as a shock to Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh), who is trying to run a struggling laundromat while dealing with her upbeat but ineffective husband (Ke Huy Quan, the kid from “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” now grown up and back in acting) and a grown daughter, Joy (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s” Stephanie Hsu), who is understandably irritated by mom’s reluctance

Evelyn is unexpectedly drawn into the multiverse while meeting with an IRS agent (Jamie Lee Curtis, who is buried behind ugly makeup). She is informed that she is the only one who can stop a “agent of chaos” who poses a threat to them all.

Furthermore, each time she enters one of the other universes, she has access to the talents she learned there, which, given the hazards and Yeoh’s martial-arts experience, is quite useful.

The film, directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (known as Daniels), has a vague resemblance to “The Matrix,” but that comparison falls well short of capturing the film’s playful tone, which may subsequently become contemplative and mournful. Although “Everything Everywhere” isn’t the type of film one would seek out for a serious study of pathways not travelled, “dreams you never followed,” and reaching tranquilly with one’s decisions, that is clearly one of the worlds it inhabits.

Indeed, anybody anticipating a full-throttle action vehicle, as the trailer suggests, may have to adjust to the film’s opening speed. Once the storyline is established, the true accomplishment is in the editing, which slices and dices together glimpses of the countless possibilities at work, compelling the actors to embody all of them, from the serious to the ridiculous.

It’s unclear if that will transfer to a larger audience than diehard cinephiles, and the restricted release prior to a wider release shows a desire to capitalise on word of mouth and allow fans do part of the promotion on the film’s behalf.

It also doesn’t help that the movie could be cut by 20-30 minutes without losing anything in terms of clarity.

Nonetheless, Daniels (together with producers including the Russo brothers of the “Avengers”) has created the type of inventive, uncompromising effort that can get people enthusiastic about movies. While the overall impact might be a bit overwhelming to take in, “Everything Everywhere” is a film that needs to be viewed at least once.

On April 8, “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once” will be released in cinemas across the United States. It’s an R-rated film.