Synopsis
First-generation Chinese immigrants Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh) and Waymond Wang (Ke Huy Quan) own a laundry mat under their apartment. They moved to America because of the love they have for one another and they have a daughter named Joy (Stephanie Hsu). Fast-forward to the present, where their laundry mat isn’t doing so well and the entire family is dysfunctional. Waymond is seeking a divorce and Joy feels unheard and unloved by her mother.
Evelyn discovers that she can travel between alternate multi-verses and see the different lives she could’ve lived. Each small decision she’s made piggybacks on another, creating an entirely different universe. Another universes version of her husband Waymond has tasked her with defeating the multiverse jumper named Jobu Tupaki.
Interpretation
The movie does an outstanding job of introducing a complex, interesting idea, and grounding it with a broken family being put back together. Although the idea of a multiverse and travelling through universes has been done before (and well)this movie still brought a new refreshing take to it. Just really amazing writing and directing by both Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. It’s a tricky job, but it did feel like as the audience we experienced everything everywhere all at once.
Without spoiling, I want to talk about themes that are brought up in the movie. The film questions what truly matters. It goes on a tangent about how humans prove old theories wrong and thus showing what we once believed, we now know was stupid. This realization gives us the freedom to understand that every action we make may not be right, but we do the best with what we have or what we know. The ability to look at other universes, and how things could’ve panned out, is both a gift and a curse. At one end you can look at the life you could’ve lived and maybe want to live, but you also see the things you lack which can give you a new appreciation for the life you live now. Like I said earlier, each small decision can piggyback on another creating a whole new life for yourself. Since you never 100% know the consequences of your actions, the best you can do is do the best with what you have and move forward with good intentions.
This is how I interpreted the best movie of 2020, leave a comment down below and let me know what you think about it.
