So, I just saw this movie a couple of hours ago. I went in expecting to like it. It looked fun, was from A24 and had a great cast. Even with decently high expectations I absolutely loved this move and it's currently sitting as the best movie of the year for me and will be hard to top. This movie has got so much going on for it. Not only does it have an interesting plot and fantastic acting but there is just so much to it. It's wild, crazy, over the top, brash, childish in a good way, ridiculous but also really moving, heartwarming, endearing and touching. It has it's clear messages and the really hit home and work very well.
The multiverse thing has become more common with the Marvel films and they do those well. However, I think this movie does it a lot better. The reasoning, logic, and story behind the multiverse, how it works, how everything is connected and so on actually makes a lot of sense and works well. It's simple enough to understand but also complex enough to be interesting. I never once found myself groaning or rolling my eyes because it felt like a weak explanation or having a multiverse to have a multiverse.
Everyone in this movie provides a stellar performance. Michelle Yeohs performance is completely real and believable. You feel where she is at the start of the movie, you understand her position and reluctance. Her character arc and progression feels very human. Each different version of her does feel a bit different but with the same character at the base. It feels very real and believable that if there were a multiverse and other versions, that they would be this way.
Stephanie Hsu plays her daughter and is very somber and sometimes depressing character but again you understand why. She never comes across as whiny or cringy even if what she is doing isn't right. She plays it in a way that feels very human like a being with emotions and hardships would do in that type of situation.
My favorite character though was the husband played by Ke Huy Quan. He has to go from the goofy but loveable idiot to the more serious and even kind of sad alternate universe version. Whenever there is a switch off he plays it so well and naturally. He is just so fun and loveable and even has a progression of his own. His character turns out to be such a good person with a big heart but it never feels cheesy or like some Hallmark special. People made fun of this actor for his roles in Temple of Doom and Goonies but here he shines so brightly.
Jamie Lee Curtis is great, which isn't at all surprising. Like the others you do understand her position and why she is the way she is. She's hateful and sad and like Hsus character it may not be the "right" way to be in life but is honestly how someone who had been through what she has would be like. Even when she gets taken over by the villain of the movie it's a lot of fun.
The humor in this movie ranges from very clever to completely childish but a lot of fun. If you can't take it as a joke sometimes, then it probably isn't for you but I would also say you need to broaden your horizons and laugh. There are a lot of good action sequences and fights. The effects are brilliant and amazing. There are a lot of new and clever ideas. There are a lot of generally soul crushing and heartwarming moments to bring you down but lift you back up. It's one of the rare movies that stuck as I walked out of the theater and I am still reeling a bit.
5/5 stars. Movie of the year so far.
