The Hidden Meaning of Everything Everywhere All at Once | Video Essay

Escaping desire will not end suffering. It's too simplistic.

Davis Thomas Johnson Edward Allen Matthew

I just finished watching this movie, and it was so powerful to me. Even the first time, i watched it from the perspective that Joy was the main character. Or at least, the character that related to me the most.

It was very clear to me that she was suffering even from the first watch. I noticed that the bagel nihilism and self harm, and everything adjacent, things ive experienced. Finding urself masking in spectacle, in rage, in apathy, trying to find acceptance from ur parents for loving others.

I hadnt noticed the self harm imagery however. I understood the msg of entering into the bagel, especially by how Evelyn acted out after having looked into the bagel. This movie felt like a reflection of my feelings towards my parents, my life, and my accomplishments.

After watching it, i spent 30 minutes crying to my mom. I loved Everything Everywhere All At Once. It really make me feel

i find it insane that so many people didn't immediately see Joy as a representation of depression. This is blatant for me.

My third googly eye is opened

Be the Googly Eye of this world.

I just thought it was mostly a big allegory for expectation and missed potential.

"I'm tired."
Yup. Said that before. Unfortunately my conservative Malaysian parents brushed that aside too. Since then, I've stopped caring about them, which no doubt invites all kinds of attacks about how spoiled I am.

Now I understand why this movie always makes me cry. The first time I saw it I almost dehydrated crying. I also suffer from depression and I could never feel anything but empathy for Joy. I also sometimes want to disappear. It is one of the few films where the aim is not to destroy the villain, but to save her, to make her feel loved and accepted. It is by far the best action-comedy movie I have ever seen.

Whatever form it takes, in your different videos, I really like your interaction with your sponsor.

"bruh?" 😂😂😂

Lots of Buddhist ideas but lots of taoist too with the donut and eye imagery

here after XG's reference "everything everywhere all at once" in WOKE UP.

I finally got around to seeing this movie recently. What a beautiful analysis of a beautiful film 🌹

As someone who suffers from depression and suicidal thoughts, I knew immediately what the theme was for Joys character. 😢

Such a brilliant film.

That was so cute! Very well done. I love your comments. Made me cry at the end. There's something else in there about the element of control. I remember a line from novelist Tom Robbins, about the ultimate question, "How do you make love stay?" And of course you can't control love. It's built in. But I think it's getting at that very Buddhist topic of grasping. We always try to force life to give us more of what we want. I wonder if that ties in with how Alphaverse Evelyn tried to force Joy to do more, be more... and should have just let her be herself. You surf the waves of reality, accepting both the suffering and the joy. I'm also reminded of the music video where Bjork sings "Carry my joy on the left/Carry my pain on the right" - it's a great song if you haven't heard it.

thank you 💕

My sister chose to enter the bagel when we were teens. Reminded me of that. You can't stop them, but you can try to reason with them and then have to let go.

The rock scene made me tear up

I don't think I've ever seen such an accurate depiction of what my depression feels like. The "I'm tired." I can't express the number of times I've said that. The weight those two words carry. When I was ready to stop existing. Wanting the pain to stop so badly. And all I could say is "I'm tired."

As much as I related to Joy, when Evelyn confronted her dad and asked him "How did you do it? How did you give me up?" Absolutely broke my heart and set an anchor point for Evelyn's character.

Edit: My first point of crying was when Jobu first appeared and then explained the bagel for the first time.

Man, what a movie

Super late to.the party as I just watched this film. From a former su*c*dal I also resonated with Joy among all the main characters. The bagel is such a perfectly comical parallel to howi personally felt depression was like. To me it felt like a hollow but heavy iron ball , stuck in mynchest, that was sinking me eternally lower into the abyss. I've read so many takes on depression but none illustrated it like I did in my own head/heart. But the bagel is just like my hollow iron ball.
The way this film visualized the inner anxiety and overwhelm of depression (or life in general) is such a mirror to what I went through. My husband is definitely my Waymond in real life. He was so crucial in helping me see life beyond the clouds.

Such a great movie and an even greater message! We need more movies like this!

The “I’m Tired” hit hard for real

This is really, really. Georgeus ❤

hi just wanted to acknowledge your effort in making these videos and i love hearing your analysis! you always bring fresh perspective to the movie, keep making these videos!

This film made me cry and made my wife cry, both for different reasons.

Best analysis of this movie yet

Such a googly eye for making this video!! 🥰

As someone who has experienced extreme depression and suicidal thoughts, this movie resonated with me deeply. Joy spoke so much truth about the suffering that comes with depression & I LOVED IT

What you said in the video is what I went through in my life for years. It was the enlightenment part for me that I realized that I was looking at life wrong. I was at the verge of suicide but it was my family, my siblings, my search for my meaning, my future and ultimately the enlightenment that changed me. I brought myself back from that verge and I swore to never get to that point. And my life has changed so much since then. I'll be transferring to a university soon to continue my education and achieve my dream. It took a lot of work, realization, and learning both academically and spiritually to be where I am but it was worth it. If anyone reads this and is going through something similar, don't give into those thoughts. They are temporary and you will get better which might lead to your life changing completely. The world may seem like its in a bad place but its up to each of us to change that even if its on a small scale.

This video brought me to tears, very well done

Jobu was going around the universes trying to find an Evelyn that would understand her bagel. In a way I feel that it was Joy's cry for help before ending her life, to see if this Evelyn will fight for her or if she should just escape into the bagel.

I love your conclusion 🥺💕🌷I saw lots of common points with beliefs I heard about like law of attraction, christianism... I think it's an inspiration of a lot of things... This film is so rich!

wow I really loved your explaination

the first thing I noticed having watching this movie was in fact that it was about depression. some people may be able to see that meaning who are not depressed but as someone who has had depression you relate to it and it plays on your emotions. i think it was a beautiful movie that appears complex but underneath that complexity is the simple meaning the movie is about mental health awareness

There's a shot of Evelyn and Joy sitting in the van, Joy wearing what I presumed to be a hospital gown. I interpreted this scene as the aftermath of an attempt, though it isn't explicitly stated

I wasn't depressed until I saw this movie. Everything Everywhere All at Once is trite and points to a succession of bad pretentious copycats. Chaos for us all.

👍

I didn't notice the hanged depiction of the pinatas, but the "I am tired" hit so hard... The nihilism she spewed was too close to home and the genuine love and hope that healed it was so amazing.

When the movie tries to show Us that after her Mom's made her see every possibilities, Joy's brains starts to think too much, as a symptoms of anxiety, where you often see another universes where things are different. And all of this brings her to the Bagel, that is, the depression. Finally, she just avoids the depression with the effort of all of the family members.

How the hell can anyone watch this movie and not conclude that it is about joy, not her mother!?

“if you know, you know” is a sordidly perfect way of regarding joy’s depiction. as someone who’s first watch was today, it just was all so keen. a very well done movie + analysis!

But did anyone else notice that stone Joy had googly eyes at the end? I think she did finally see life. Since there is no life and she isn't alive in that universe, i think she basically just went away. She cannot die as a rock. But her mother let her go and she has googly eyes now.

whoa ; i 'm sorry i 'm so late seeing your review. NOW i do want to watch the film. Thank you also for clarifying the translation misstep .

My tears rolled down unto my cheeks. There is something in the movie even though I haven't watch it. Or I am depressed too? I just didn't know it until I watch this. I don't know.

I also watched the movie and believed it was a Buddhist analogy (even held a presentation in class about Buddhist representation in the movie)

This was a fantastic video essay and a great breakdown of the themes in this movie. Especially bringing attention to the self-harm. Thank you for a job well done!