Am I strange for not loving Everything Everywhere All At Once?

3 years ago by AFK BRB Chocolate to c/moviesandtv

Just got around to watching it for the first time tonight. We had so many people tell us we'd love it and need to watch it, so it was high on our list. Great cast, and it won so many awards.

I didn't hate it, but I was left scratching my head over all the hype. I like odd movies and books, so it's not that I couldn't handle the weirdness. It seemed like in the same vein as Scott Pilgrim, and if you told me it wasn't a bit box office but got a cult following, I'd totally believe that.

My wife felt exactly the same way. Maybe it's just one of those cases where there was too much hype for us, but I felt kind of let down.

chrisbrummel 55 points 3 years ago

It’s one of my all time favorite movies, but you’re not alone. I’ve talked to a handful of people who say the same. My parents don’t “get it”, but I suspect that has something to do with the fact that a big theme of the movie is about being “of” the internet, being always connected, and unable to escape the weight of the world. It’s a very generational theme that isn’t relatable for them.

Being that you’re posting this on Lenny leads me to bet that’s not something you share with them 🤷🏼‍♂️

path: 0 4566786, hotness: undefined, score: 55, children: 1

AFKBRBChocolate 2 points 3 years ago

Well, on the one hand, I'm an old guy - wouldn't surprise me if I'm as old or older than your parents - but on the other I've grown up on tech. I've been online in one way or another since the mid 80s (BBSs, early Internet, early web developer, etc.). I really don't think any of the themes, including Internet connectivity and parental approval were lost on me. I even had a long committed relationship with someone whose parents were from mainland China.

I just didn't think it was very remarkable underneath the silly multiverse part.

path: 0 4566786 4575359, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 0

maegul 39 points 3 years ago

Maybe it’s just one of those cases where there was too much hype for us, but I felt kind of let down.

Hype, spoilers, trailers upon trailers ... IMO these things are ruining cinema experiences.

As someone who rather enjoyed EEAaO ... it is not a film that benefits from hype ... it's a deceptively moody / vibe-y film that benefits from coming at you by surprise, telling you a story you didn't know you wanted to hear/see, a pretty personal experience. It's that experience, IMO, that people fell in love with. Not that everyone should like it ... I'm curious to hear what you didn't like about it apart from "not living up to the hype" ... but your experience doesn't surprise me at all.

Generally, I'm completely done with hype and trying to decide on whether we should watch something based on whether it's "good". There are good objective reasons for thinking that, and I've thought it for a while, but the insane inanity of where modern mainstream cinema has gotten to recently has really burnt me. A defining moment of this being when I went and saw the latest Thor film, actually thinking I might enjoy it, and honestly felt like the whole industry had literally picked my pocket. Hobbit trilogy had a similar feeling. We can do better at understanding what we get out of films and talking about what we should see and why.

path: 0 4566903, hotness: undefined, score: 39, children: 4

AFKBRBChocolate -1 points 3 years ago

I avoided everything about it except the hype and the cast. No idea what the story involved.

Like I've said, I didn't dislike it. I felt like it was a cute little fluff piece with a simple, tender parent/child story wrapped in a silly multiverse wrapper.

I so agree with you about Thor. I had enjoyed the prior movies, and when they last one started I figured the silly stuff was just going to be the story teller at the start, which would get displaced by the regular MCU universe. As it approached the halfway point, my wife and I were kind of in disbelief. I couldn't believe anyone thought it was a good idea.

path: 0 4566903 4575888, hotness: undefined, score: -1, children: 3

maegul 8 points 3 years ago

wrapped in a silly multiverse wrapper.

I think this is probably the major disconnect with fans of the film. Compared to the silly multiverse stuff from Marvel, EEAAO actually did something with the concept by addressing what it means to have made and regretted life decisions and what it would actually look like if you could somehow rise above those choices and not suffer from them. The daughter-mother dynamic then becomes a vehicle to explore that, depicting depression, nihilism and outward and inward destructive urges, and what meaning if any can be built amongst all of that while also folding in a fairly touching if somewhat basic story of immigrants (Asian and others too IMO) and their children.

The simple ending, for instance, where Yeoh’s character can’t quite ignore the multiverse is a pretty stark statement, to me, that enlightenment is almost unattainable however close you get, as it’s human nature to crave something else or new.

Without wanting to be harsh about this, there’s a real chance you didn’t quite get the film. Maybe its absurdism is to blame in part, being a distraction. But OTOH combining all of the above into a fun absurdist genre pastiche was definitely part of the quality of the film for fans. Kinda like seeing a stand up comic for the first time who turns out to be hilarious while also laying down some hard and deep truths.

To get back to my initial point about hype … part of the culture it has created is to emphasise the entertainment aspect of films over the meaning and artistic aspects. A “good” film is obviously good in the cinema in the middle of watching it. The audience will applaud scenes it’s so obvious.

Sometimes a film can mean something deeper and longer term with its quality lying in the discussion and understanding you have afterward and the random rewatch 5 years later.

path: 0 4566903 4575888 4586746, hotness: undefined, score: 8, children: 2

AFKBRBChocolate 2 points 3 years ago

Without wanting to be harsh about this, there’s a real chance you didn’t quite get the film.

There's literally nothing you said that wasn't pretty obvious - don't assume that because you found something deep out enjoyable that a person who didn't have the same reaction just "doesn't get it."

path: 0 4566903 4575888 4586746 4588037, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 1

maegul 6 points 3 years ago

Well I didn’t mean it intellectually. Often times, in my experience, “getting it” is about resonance with one’s experience, feelings or something else.

path: 0 4566903 4575888 4586746 4588037 4589591, hotness: undefined, score: 6, children: 0

Mr_Will 32 points 3 years ago

The best way to watch EEAAO is knowing nothing about it. Its never going to be what you expect and if you go in expecting too much, you're likely to be disappointed. Sounds very much like the hype might be why you feel the way you do.

Personally, I love it because there is more than just weirdness to it. It manages to have quite deep and emotional moments that fit naturally amongst everything that is going on. For example: ::: spoiler spoilers When Evelyn learns that breaking up with Waymond would have led to a 'perfect' life and the complexity of her feelings around that, only to be hit moments later by the gut-punch that Waymond would have been far more successful without her too. After that, how can she not regret the decision which led to them both being stuck doing laundry and taxes? :::

It's this deeper side and the depth and realism of the characters that really elevate the movie for me and lead to me still thinking about it months later. That's why it's more than just a cult hit IMO, but you aren't wrong if you disagree.

path: 0 4567846, hotness: undefined, score: 32, children: 5

KreekyBonez 9 points 3 years ago

Hype is the not-so-quiet killer of good movies, but it's a paradox: good movie gets spread by word-of-mouth so much that people stop wanting to hear about it and create a negative opinion before ever engaging with it.

I do my best to recommend movies/tv/games with simple "I liked it" or "it's worth watching" type statements. I try to avoid overly personal statements like "you would love this" or "you need to see this", since it takes the autonomy away from the person who might choose to watch it. Additionally, I very often use the phrase "say no more" when getting recommendations, to let people know I'm convinced to try it, without the need for overbearing elaboration.

I have had things ruined by pre-judgment for the over-hyped, and all I can do now is try not to ruin things for anyone else. It's natural to want to rave about something we really like, but it's worth being conscious of how bias can set in and affect other people.

path: 0 4567846 4569896, hotness: undefined, score: 9, children: 0

Instigate 8 points 3 years ago

That's the first time I've seen that acronym, and my mind instantly played it to the tune of Old MacDonald Had a Farm.

🎶Old Macdonald had a farm, E E A A O🎶

path: 0 4567846 4568088, hotness: undefined, score: 8, children: 0

BraveSirZaphod 4 points 3 years ago

Yeah, I went in completely blind, having somehow dodged spoilers for a good year when I finally saw it upon its re-release in theaters for the Oscars campaign, and I left the theater thinking it was one of my favorite movies I've ever seen.

It's absolutely not for everyone though, and there's nothing wrong with that.

path: 0 4567846 4571504, hotness: undefined, score: 4, children: 0

Pandemanium 3 points 3 years ago

But those kinds of plots (as well as the whole multiverse thing) have already been done in lots of shows like Rick and Morty, Futurama, Marvel, etc. I never understood why there was so much hype to begin with - the movie wasn't groundbreaking at all. It played out basically exactly how I thought it would, except with some incredibly unrealistic parental apology fantasy tacked on.

path: 0 4567846 4576972, hotness: undefined, score: 3, children: 1

AFKBRBChocolate 1 point 3 years ago

Yes, this was my feeling as well, which is why I described it as unremarkable. It wasn't bad, it just didn't seem especially novel, especially thought provoking, or whatever.

path: 0 4567846 4576972 4577539, hotness: undefined, score: 1, children: 0

jordanlund 27 points 3 years ago

It has all the trappings of a big, sci-fi, multiverse, but at it's core it's a sweet story of an estranged mother and daughter trying to come to terms with each other.

I think that plot gets lost in a lot of the noise.

It hits harder if you, yourself, have had strained parental relationships.

path: 0 4567548, hotness: undefined, score: 27, children: 4

Chetzemoka 5 points 3 years ago

Yep, this is it exactly. I saw it in the theater with my sister, and we were both bawling by the end.

path: 0 4567548 4572618, hotness: undefined, score: 5, children: 0

AFKBRBChocolate -1 points 3 years ago

Which I didn't personally, but my wife certainly did.

I got the underlying story - it was obvious early on what made the villain - and it was sweet, just not that remarkable.

path: 0 4567548 4572729, hotness: undefined, score: -1, children: 2

Staple_Diet 5 points 3 years ago

You didn't think Racoonatouille was funny as shit? I lost it at that part.

Otherwise it was an alright movie, pretty solid, obvious heart string pulling story line. I liked the no matter what universe they are in they end up together schtick, but again I watched it before I knew it was a big hit so had no expectations either way.

path: 0 4567548 4572729 4573317, hotness: undefined, score: 5, children: 1

AFKBRBChocolate -1 points 3 years ago

That was funny, as was hotdog fingers. Not "best picture" funny, but funny.

path: 0 4567548 4572729 4573317 4576031, hotness: undefined, score: -1, children: 0

ElPussyKangaroo 22 points 3 years ago

I feel the same.

It's an okay movie that definitely feels like it had a lot of heart going into it. I can see that they put in tons of love, but it didn't resonate with me...

Maybe because it wasn't for me?

path: 0 4566642, hotness: undefined, score: 22, children: 0

WarmSoda 21 points 3 years ago

It's just a movie. If you don't like it, oh well.
I waited to watch it when it came out on digital. But I hadn't seen even a trailer for it. One of my friends saw it in theaters and loved it, and told me to go in completely blind, so that's what I did.

It's really cool for what it is. But it definitely has its own vibe and style. I could see why someone wouldn't like it.

path: 0 4567557, hotness: undefined, score: 21, children: 2

AFKBRBChocolate -2 points 3 years ago

I also avoided all information about it. About the only thing I saw was that it was listed on a Lemmy post about good time travel movies, so I knew it had that element.

And I get that it's just a movie, but this is a place to discuss movies, so that's what I was doing.

path: 0 4567557 4574540, hotness: undefined, score: -2, children: 1

WarmSoda 3 points 3 years ago

Yup and I was also discussing it with you. Not sure why we're explaining what we're doing here, but ok.

path: 0 4567557 4574540 4574705, hotness: undefined, score: 3, children: 0

TokyoCalling 20 points 3 years ago

You are strange for not loving the film. It is generally loved so, yeah, not loving it makes you strange.

There's nothing wrong with that. Some folks don't love chocolate. Or puppies. Or sunsets. Or whatever seems to be loved by most folks.

path: 0 4585835, hotness: undefined, score: 20, children: 7

AFKBRBChocolate -1 points 3 years ago

Read through this thread - I don't feel like I'm in a small minority.

path: 0 4585835 4585871, hotness: undefined, score: -1, children: 6

Turun 5 points 3 years ago

A 1% minority encompasses about 80 million people. When people say small minority they refer to the percentage part, not the absolute number (which is indeed quite big)

path: 0 4585835 4585871 4594011, hotness: undefined, score: 5, children: 0

TokyoCalling 5 points 3 years ago

I've been reading it. The folks here are most definitely in the minority.

And that's fine. I don't know why it would bother anybody.

path: 0 4585835 4585871 4586682, hotness: undefined, score: 5, children: 0

maegul 4 points 3 years ago

Maybe not a small minority but the voting seems to indicate the majority view beyond the comments, not that there’s anything wrong with being in the minority on a film! If anything I’d say it’s good to hear from the minority opinion in films … it can broaden your perspective.

path: 0 4585835 4585871 4593228, hotness: undefined, score: 4, children: 0

Z4rK 3 points 3 years ago

It’s wild to me that you get downvoted so much throughout this thread as the OP with replies that are polite enough and just reiterate your opening opinion about the movie.

I think I’ll go and turn off showing downvotes again, I feel I left the need for that behind at the old place.

path: 0 4585835 4585871 4592304, hotness: undefined, score: 3, children: 2

AFKBRBChocolate 2 points 3 years ago

Yeah, it's pretty bizarre in a discussion community about movies to have people downvoting a subjective opinion. People use it as a "disagree" button. Oh well, I honestly don't care about the points, it just seems weird.

path: 0 4585835 4585871 4592304 4598388, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 0

maegul 1 point 3 years ago

Well yea downvotes are, IMO, objectively shite. Too many confuse them with “do not agree” and an excuse to not contribute to the conversation. Except, instead of contributing they cancel out someone else’s upvote.

The nail in the coffin for me about downvotes is that they’re too vague to be a useful piece of information. An upvote generally means “good”. A downvote can mean anything from “this is vile in need of moderation” to “I disagree” to “I don’t like your tone or general position” to, perhaps here with decentralisation, “I don’t like your instance”. All without any compulsion to contribute or converse. Pretty much guaranteed to foster some base level of toxicity.

There’s apparently a “controversial” sorting coming, which might help. Otherwise I’d be interested in an alternative way of flagging something as “bad” but not enough for moderation. Perhaps a requirement to actually post your reasoning for the “downvote” so that others can then upvote that if they like in a sort of meta commentary layer or something.

Or maybe something like hacker news where only relative long time users and contributors can downvote.

path: 0 4585835 4585871 4592304 4593210, hotness: undefined, score: 1, children: 0

Mac 18 points 3 years ago

I actively avoid trailers and spoilers.

Theyre ads. Fuck ads.
They make the movie experience worse pretty much every time. Going in blind is almost always the best option.

path: 0 4574928, hotness: undefined, score: 18, children: 3

Z4rK 2 points 3 years ago

It’s almost my main reason to not go to the cinema anymore, I do not want to watch any trailers for an upcoming movie I already know I want to see. I’m rather waiting 6 months for streaming. Of course, that means avoiding any info about the movie for 6 more months. It was so much better during Covid when stuff got released almost directly to streaming.

I think Star Wars was the last movies that had good takers that just teased you without revealing any plot points. Modern trailers reveal absolutely every plot and twist in the whole movie. I hate it.

path: 0 4574928 4592260, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 0

AFKBRBChocolate 1 point 3 years ago

I agree. I didn't see a single one for it!

path: 0 4574928 4576085, hotness: undefined, score: 1, children: 1

Pulptastic 4 points 3 years ago

The expectation from reviews can also turn to a let down.

path: 0 4574928 4576085 4577324, hotness: undefined, score: 4, children: 0

scytale 17 points 3 years ago

Do you have any thoughts on why you think you didn’t like it? It’s perfectly normal not to personally like something the majority does, but you didn’t really mention any details about why you thought it wasn’t as great as you were expecting.

path: 0 4566749, hotness: undefined, score: 17, children: 7

Blapoo 1 point 3 years ago

If the buttplugs don't do it for you, nothing will. I'd love to know what movies OP does like

path: 0 4566749 4568556, hotness: undefined, score: 1, children: 0

AFKBRBChocolate -1 points 3 years ago

Like I said, it's not that I didn't like it. I liked it, I just didn't think it was that remarkable. I'm dumbfounded that it won best picture. It was cute and quirky. Like I said, I'd put it with Scott Pilgrim or Buckaroo Banzai.

path: 0 4566749 4575191, hotness: undefined, score: -1, children: 5

xyzzy 4 points 3 years ago

What kind of movie do you think should win best picture?

path: 0 4566749 4575191 4600142, hotness: undefined, score: 4, children: 3

AFKBRBChocolate 1 point 3 years ago

"Kind" of movie? No particular kind. Here, look at the Wikipedia page on the best picture awards and scan through the winners. There's quite a variety of type of movie, but I feel like the caliber is generally higher. You, of course, might disagree.

path: 0 4566749 4575191 4600142 4600328, hotness: undefined, score: 1, children: 2

xyzzy 3 points 3 years ago

I'm very familiar with the best picture winners. The only qualification is that the members voted for it. And the members are creatives in the film industry who either have already won an Oscar for something like best actor or best director or who have been sponsored by multiple other members for membership.

So those members clearly recognized or connected to something in the movie that has merit to vote for it for best picture. I think it was the fact that it was both unique and surreal but also accessible with an emotional core. Personally, I'd rather see more films that take chances like that than traditional "Oscar bait" (most of which I also enjoy).

path: 0 4566749 4575191 4600142 4600328 4600977, hotness: undefined, score: 3, children: 1

Thrillhouse 3 points 3 years ago

To be fair there are lots of movies that don’t deserve Best Picture and win anyway. Years ago, I couldn’t understand Slumdog Millionaire’s win. Love the Coen Bros., but clearly There Will Be Blood was the superior film over No Country, in my opinion.

path: 0 4566749 4575191 4596075, hotness: undefined, score: 3, children: 0

Z4rK 15 points 3 years ago

I watched it before I knew anything about the hype, and it was just an ok movie for me. Fun that they dare be playful.

I was very surprised when I saw all the main stream accolades it received. I guess maybe it managed to be seen by a lot of people that wouldn’t normally like weird fantasy movies etc, so it was something new and fun for them?

I watched it again later to see what I had missed. I had not missed anything. Did not finish the last play through.

path: 0 4569922, hotness: undefined, score: 15, children: 8

Chetzemoka 10 points 3 years ago

I definitely normally like weird fantasy movies and EEAAO was a deeply moving experience for me. I think you have to see that's it's not a sci-fi movie. It's a family drama that just happens to wear sci-fi clothing. And it's one of the best written family drama scripts in recent memory.

I also appreciated the message that nihilism is almost the easy way out. Optimism requires effort.

path: 0 4569922 4572583, hotness: undefined, score: 10, children: 5

pimento64 4 points 3 years ago

Really, it's a film about family

path: 0 4569922 4572583 4573744, hotness: undefined, score: 4, children: 0

Z4rK 2 points 3 years ago

I probably don’t care that much for family drama, so that just detracted from the fantasy experience for me? I liked several elements of it, but as a whole it was a noisy experience.

It’s funny that a movie is so divisive.

path: 0 4569922 4572583 4573478, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 3

Chetzemoka 3 points 3 years ago

Eh, anything that becomes popular becomes divisive. Because it becomes popular to love it and also popular to hate it.

path: 0 4569922 4572583 4573478 4573791, hotness: undefined, score: 3, children: 2

Z4rK 1 point 3 years ago

I’m really just speaking for myself. It had some interesting elements. It was ok to watch on the first play through. I’m quite surprised by all the official accolade of how great the film is.

path: 0 4569922 4572583 4573478 4573791 4574146, hotness: undefined, score: 1, children: 1

0ops 3 points 3 years ago

I watched it before I knew anything about the hype, and it was just an ok movie for me.

I was very surprised when I saw all the main stream accolades it received.

You know that's exactly how I felt about Top Gun: Maverick. I watched it, it was fun. But I didn't really feel like watching it again. Then I check reddit the next day and apparently the movie was saving cinema?

path: 0 4569922 4584442, hotness: undefined, score: 3, children: 0

AFKBRBChocolate -1 points 3 years ago

I resonate with that. Again, I didn't at all dislike it - I'd give it a thumbs up - but I also didn't think it was that notable, either. It seems like a very strange Best Picture winner.

path: 0 4569922 4574952, hotness: undefined, score: -1, children: 0

Greenknight777 14 points 3 years ago

Depends on your tastes. I personally really liked it because it represented philosophical absurdism and various existential concepts in an interesting/comedic way. I laughed really hard at things like the "everything" donut and Michelle Yeoh's big fight scene where she used "compassion" to solve all the henchpeople's life problems and "defeat" them.

Despite it's fun/weird/comedic exterior it was very clearly written with these philosophical concepts in mind. If you like thinky/philosophical stuff you probably like this movie too, that said if you don't like that kind of vibe you probably just viewed the randomness/oddness of some of the scenes as strange.

path: 0 4590743, hotness: undefined, score: 14, children: 0

bogdugg 14 points 3 years ago

I loved Swiss Army Man, the directors' previous film, for its weirdness, charm, music, humour and visual flare. Everything Everywhere was an improvement over all of these aspects so I absolutely loved it, such that I can overlook the pacing issues. They never lose the very human story through the madness.

path: 0 4569356, hotness: undefined, score: 14, children: 0

DAMunzy 14 points 3 years ago

I saw it before all the hype and loved it. Maybe the hype hurts the experience?

path: 0 4585051, hotness: undefined, score: 14, children: 4

AFKBRBChocolate 2 points 3 years ago

It often does. Question though: when the curtains came down, did you find yourself thinking "This should be a best picture nominee/winner?"

path: 0 4585051 4585590, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 2

driving_crooner 4 points 3 years ago

I was. When I finished I thought that it was a shame it was released in February and now have no chance of winning best movie because this movie if fucking great. It was the best movies released in that year, not as good as Parasite, but way better that other Oscar's best picture.

path: 0 4585051 4585590 4591072, hotness: undefined, score: 4, children: 0

DAMunzy 2 points 3 years ago

I don't know about that because those awards are always political. But I did think it was an awesome movie. I think I lucked out that year because it was the only movie I saw in the theater and I enjoyed it so much.

path: 0 4585051 4585590 4647726, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 0

kameecoding 1 point 3 years ago

it does, I remember Reddit raving so much about Blade runner, when I got around to watching it and then I see Deckard being saved by a typical deus ex machina when one of the Replicants has his hands around his neck and I was like, "this is a supposed masterpiece? fuck off"

and then you know I just wasn't really into the film, I absolutely loved 2049 though.

Though I knew I was going into a Villeneuve movie so I knew it was gonna be goos.

path: 0 4585051 4643948, hotness: undefined, score: 1, children: 0

nostradiel 12 points 3 years ago

I stopped in half cause it was literally unwatchable and extremely inconsistently boring to me, despite being a genre I like with actors I like. It's matter of subjectivity..

PS: Please don't write me that if I finished it I'd might understand or like it. If I don't like half of the movie, I'm simply not finishing it.

path: 0 4573924, hotness: undefined, score: 12, children: 0

doom_and_gloom 10 points 3 years ago

M

path: 0 4586893, hotness: undefined, score: 10, children: 2

AFKBRBChocolate 5 points 3 years ago

I'd upvote you twice if I could, this well articulates a lot of how I felt

path: 0 4586893 4588134, hotness: undefined, score: 5, children: 1

doom_and_gloom 4 points 3 years ago

N

path: 0 4586893 4588134 4589186, hotness: undefined, score: 4, children: 0

xyzzy 10 points 3 years ago

Here's the thing. There are a lot of people who are unhappy with the way their lives turned out. Or they have relationships that they wish were different. Regret is a universal theme. And this movie explores what might have been for characters in those circumstances with the possibility of changing those things in their past that they regret, while at the same the movie maintains a surreality and sense of humor that's memorable and endearing.

I think it might resonate more with people who have lived long enough to experience that feeling of "is this all there is?"—and I don't mean younger people whose lives are still mostly ahead of them. I mean those people who are divorced or contemplating divorce, parents with disappointing relationships with their adult children, those caring for an older family member who feel trapped. There's a reason most actors in the film are in their 50s and 60s, as well as 40s.

If you didn't like it, maybe that's why. I finally reread The Great Gatsby when I was approaching middle age and it resonated with me in a way that it didn't when I was in high school, to the point where it became one of my favorite novels. You are literally and figuratively a different person when you experience something at a later age.

I'm not suggesting everyone of a certain age or experience should like this movie. I'm just saying it might be why some didn't connect with it.

path: 0 4600728, hotness: undefined, score: 10, children: 3

AFKBRBChocolate 3 points 3 years ago

I'm in my 60s, and I don't lack for regrets. I completely understood and resonated with that aspect of the movie. It just didn't seem that deep to me. And, as I've said repeatedly, I didn't dislike it, I just felt like it was over-hyped.

path: 0 4600728 4603149, hotness: undefined, score: 3, children: 2

xyzzy 4 points 3 years ago

Got it. For what it's worth, I also think it was overhyped, although I don't really blame the movie for that. That said, I don't think any Oscar winners that come to mind have necessarily been particularly deep.

In terms of recent winners, quality-wise I think this was about on-par with Birdman, which I also enjoyed. I think Parasite was superior, but I have loved Bong Joon-ho since I saw Memories of Murder, which I also think is superior, so I'm biased.

path: 0 4600728 4603149 4617557, hotness: undefined, score: 4, children: 0

AgentOrangesicle 2 points 3 years ago

The Daniels also made a 10-minute short called, "Interesting Ball". It felt like their entire goal was to say nothing at all and still make it feel profound.

Everything Everywhere wasn't that, because it really explored regret, acceptance, and the importance of pursuing empathy in relationships. That being said, they definitely did their director magic and hyperbolized everything they could.

Is it still my favorite movie? Yes.

Yes it is.

path: 0 4600728 4603149 4617890, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 0

rephlekt2718 9 points 3 years ago

It’s fine! Just what you like. there are countless things that are critically acclaimed that aren’t for me, I chalk it up to different perspectives on what art should do. People loved that “ready player one” book, but I thought it was trash lol.

path: 0 4570908, hotness: undefined, score: 9, children: 0

0ops 8 points 3 years ago

I thought the movie was alright, but yeah I was also let down by the hype. The one trailer I watched was giving me philosophical sci-fi action vibes, so I thought that I was about to watch this generation's "The Matrix". Not sure why I thought that in hindsight. Turns out it was a family drama/comedy albiet with a unique aesthetic and execution. Don't get me wrong, it's great at what it is, it just wasn't for me. It didn't help that the movie took too long to end imo.

path: 0 4584655, hotness: undefined, score: 8, children: 1

AFKBRBChocolate 6 points 3 years ago

There was a point in it - I'm guessing a little more than halfway through - where it was very obvious how it had to end. The movie didn't treat us like we'd figured that out though, and it treated that ending like it was a big surprise. That was my biggest problem with the pacing, and probably why you felt like the end took too long in coming.

I had slight hopes at a couple points that they were going to take an unexpected curve, but it didn't happen.

path: 0 4584655 4585483, hotness: undefined, score: 6, children: 0

KingJalopy 8 points 3 years ago

First time I watched it was on mushrooms and it broke my mind lol

path: 0 4572176, hotness: undefined, score: 8, children: 0

Damaskox 8 points 3 years ago

💓

path: 0 4594260, hotness: undefined, score: 8, children: 0

delitomatoes 8 points 3 years ago

Imagine the people it might appeal to

If you're Asian
If you're Asian American
if you were an American immigrant
if you like comedies
if you like action movies
if you like choreographed fights
if you like absurdist humour
if you had a bad relationship with your parents
if you're LGBT
if you like multiverse sci fi
if you like cool costumes
if you like set pieces
if you like family drama
if you like pop culture references. -if you like creative cinematography
if you like Michelle Yeoh
if you like Jamie Lee Curtis
If you like Ke huy quans comeback

This movie is maximalist, so it hits a lot of things at the same time, so naturally people may tack on to whatever they are attracted to. If none of the above fits you, then so be it

path: 0 4587678, hotness: undefined, score: 8, children: 2

kameecoding 1 point 3 years ago

it's not really any of the above for me, for me the most important part is the exploration of nihilism.

path: 0 4587678 4643999, hotness: undefined, score: 1, children: 0

nlm 1 point 3 years ago

I think that was part of why I didn't care for it all that much. At least no more than it felt like an OK movie.

It felt like it was trying too hard to be too many things and not really excelling at any of them.

path: 0 4587678 4604698, hotness: undefined, score: 1, children: 0

habanhero 8 points 3 years ago

The hype is a bit overboard. It's a good movie, pretty innovative but in my opinion not the cinematic masterpiece mainstream mediaheads touts it to be.

path: 0 4567599, hotness: undefined, score: 8, children: 2

tetris11 7 points 3 years ago

Yep, hype kills a lot of movies. I was floored by EEOAO, in the same way I was floored by the Matrix. I didn't see any trailers or hype for any of them.

Hype kills everything for me, and its a reason that my favourite bands stop becoming my favourite bands when they start getting mainstream attention, because the over promotion just puts me off.

path: 0 4567599 4568024, hotness: undefined, score: 7, children: 0

AFKBRBChocolate 1 point 3 years ago

Sounds like we felt similarly

path: 0 4567599 4574549, hotness: undefined, score: 1, children: 0

OneCardboardBox 8 points 3 years ago

I really liked it, but a big part of that is because I found the family dynamics to be very relatable to those of someone I care about. Tbh, that gave the ending even more impact for me, when the mother pulled everyone together, instead of letting her pride push her child away :(

The action and inventive effects certainly didn't hurt.

path: 0 4578718, hotness: undefined, score: 8, children: 0

Moobythegoldensock 7 points 3 years ago

No, it seems a lot of people just didn’t click with it for some reason. There are always a few people here or on reddit saying they hated it, and it seems like it’s more than the average movie.

I personally loved it, so I have a hard time seeing what people disliked about it.

path: 0 4573007, hotness: undefined, score: 7, children: 0

rephlekt2718 7 points 3 years ago

It’s fine! Just like what you like. there are countless things that are critically acclaimed that aren’t for me, I chalk it up to different perspectives on what art should do. People loved that “ready player one” book, but I thought it was trash lol.

path: 0 4570907, hotness: undefined, score: 7, children: 2

AFKBRBChocolate 0 points 3 years ago

I enjoyed reading ready player one, but it was less the story and more the fun of all the games and platforms woven into it. I'm the perfect demographic for it, having grown up in the era when personal computers were a new thing and going on to work in the software industry.

path: 0 4570907 4575036, hotness: undefined, score: 0, children: 1

rephlekt2718 5 points 3 years ago

That’s a perfect example, since I personally didn’t care about the references, it wasn’t for me. But I bet it was a trip for you, and that’s great! So no worries on whether a popular piece of art doesn’t resonate for you, it’s just not on your wavelength.

path: 0 4570907 4575036 4578549, hotness: undefined, score: 5, children: 0

RupeThereItIs 7 points 3 years ago

I loved it.

As someone with ADHD I felt a strong kinship to Evelyn. Though I think personality wise I'm more a Wayman and my wife Evelyn.

The line about her being the best to defeat jobu chubaka because she was the worst version of herself hit home.

path: 0 4587538, hotness: undefined, score: 7, children: 0

JokeDeity 6 points 3 years ago

You're not strange, but I fucking loved every second of it. It hung in my head for a few weeks after watching it.

path: 0 4572541, hotness: undefined, score: 6, children: 0

NENathaniel 6 points 3 years ago

Yea I was kinda disappointed. I especially found the ending to be rather melodramatic

path: 0 4574567, hotness: undefined, score: 6, children: 1

cmbabul 2 points 3 years ago

That was my biggest complaint. It's not a bad movie and I enjoyed it, but the resolution was really unsatisfying and simply did not deliver on the promises of the first two acts.

path: 0 4574567 4581670, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 0

rikonium 6 points 3 years ago

Not weird at all, I loved it's left-turn into generational trauma, nihilism and absurdism (not unlike how I enjoyed Barbie's unhinged nature) but would definitely say a lot of it would resonate more with Millennial/Gen Z children-of-immigrants like Bao, the short.

path: 0 4574194, hotness: undefined, score: 6, children: 0

Nihilore 6 points 3 years ago

I like David lynch weird so same as you, that didn’t bother me, what bothered me was the awful pacing and how shallow it felt. A lot of flash, little substance

path: 0 4569082, hotness: undefined, score: 6, children: 1

AFKBRBChocolate 0 points 3 years ago

Yeah, I think one of my issues was that there was this "this is very deep" implication to the main problem, but I felt like it was pretty obvious. I still enjoyed watching the characters themselves figure things out, but it all seemed like a simple, straightforward story wrapped in a weird multiverse issue.

path: 0 4569082 4574785, hotness: undefined, score: 0, children: 0

MisterSteve 6 points 3 years ago

I am in agreement with those who thought it was disappointing. Reminded me of a Disney World where all the "rides" looked intriguing until you got inside and found there were no rides. A bunch of brightly colored, sparkly doors leading nowhere to nothing. (And I am a Jamie Curtis slave, so....it was a hard let-down.)

path: 0 4581485, hotness: undefined, score: 6, children: 1

AFKBRBChocolate 3 points 3 years ago

JLC was really good. A lot of the performances were good. But yeah, it did seem like there wasn't much substance.

path: 0 4581485 4581645, hotness: undefined, score: 3, children: 0

TheControlled 5 points 3 years ago

My BFF didn't either and it baffles me.

path: 0 4595399, hotness: undefined, score: 5, children: 0

kwomp 5 points 3 years ago

You might wanna watch this. It is one interpretative framework you can see it through.

https://youtu.be/5xEi8qg266g?si=kzI_g4tbNm8Xkiac

path: 0 4568311, hotness: undefined, score: 5, children: 1

PipedLinkBot 4 points 3 years ago

Here is an alternative Piped link(s):

https://piped.video/...

Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.

I'm open-source; check me out at GitHub.

path: 0 4568311 4568314, hotness: undefined, score: 4, children: 0

KISSmyOS 4 points 3 years ago

path: 0 4569924, hotness: undefined, score: 4, children: 1

BruceTwarzen 2 points 3 years ago

I liked the movie but i agree. But the biggest problem with it for me is that i could never live up to the hype. By the way people talked about it i expexted an experience that i had watching fight club or the matrix as a teenager.

path: 0 4569924 4570620, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 0

derf82 4 points 3 years ago

No, I absolutely detested it. It was the equivalent of that old trend where girls would do stupid stuff and scream “I’M SO RANDOM.” The weirdness had no purpose. They were just pulling out stuff for shock value.

path: 0 4572605, hotness: undefined, score: 4, children: 1

Pazuzu 2 points 3 years ago

that's the only part I didn't like about the movie, the repeat hot dog fingers and butt plugs and such felt more like a skit from robot chicken than the "what the heck is even going on" kind of weirdness I was hoping for

path: 0 4572605 4592858, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 0

Welt 4 points 3 years ago

Asian leads in a big budget Hollywood movie are a big deal for people who never see people who look like them on screen. That's where most of the hype came from - excitement (some of it manufactured and emphasised by media outlets to show they understand the value of progressive representation) from fans about a movie that has a lot of Asian, and especially Chinese, cultural references.

The movie was a bit wacky but I feel it squandered a lot of good, silly ideas by lingering on them too much, and trying to tie it all together at the end in some coherent theme. It felt like the producers overrode the creatives' control over the project because the producers have been doing it longer and 'know what sells'. So many movies are ruined by creatively bankrupt executives desperately trying to make themselves relevant and killing a project as a result.

It was hardly the best film of the year, and it didn't reach the potential it might have if corporate interests hadn't stomped on the imaginative ideas at the heart of the story. However, it was financially successful and won Best Picture, so maybe the next time they have a big-budget Asian movie it will be more like a Stephen Chow film and less like a formulaic money-maker aimed at the lucrative Chinese market, a la Shang-Chi. It's a good thing the movie was made, even if it wasn't that great in the end.

path: 0 4569296, hotness: undefined, score: 4, children: 3

AFKBRBChocolate 3 points 3 years ago

Good observation. My wife and I both wondered if the movie would have been as successful if it hadn't been an all Asian cast. And that's not disparaging: I get why people would be excited about that, it's just that that in itself doesn't make it a good movie.

path: 0 4569296 4574851, hotness: undefined, score: 3, children: 1

Pandemanium 2 points 3 years ago

I agree. Beef had an Asian cast, and I thought it was way more entertaining and emotionally provocative than EEAAO.

path: 0 4569296 4574851 4577412, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 0

DaGeek247 2 points 3 years ago

It's funny, i had the opposite idea. The beginning / middle was very mid, but the ending managed to pull the movie from a c+ to an a-. The emotional climax that tied it all together was the only thing keeping the movie going.

path: 0 4569296 4573934, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 0

HootinNHollerin 3 points 3 years ago

path: 0 4566820, hotness: undefined, score: 3, children: 0

Rhoeri 3 points 3 years ago

Am I strange for never having ever heard of it until just a few days ago?

path: 0 4568905, hotness: undefined, score: 3, children: 1

AFKBRBChocolate 1 point 3 years ago

Yes! We don't have a cable, just some streaming services, but it seemed like the only movie being talked about for a while.

Edit: and it won Best Picture!

path: 0 4568905 4574634, hotness: undefined, score: 1, children: 0

CCMan1701A 2 points 3 years ago

Not sure I can watch hot dog finger scenes again... So once and done for me.

path: 0 4577532, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 0

SFDope 2 points 3 years ago

Not strange at all. I feel like we are always getting pushed to liking things that are overhyped. The movie did trigger my emotions so for me it was amazing; that's the beauty of films what you might like I won't and it's ok.

path: 0 4582418, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 0

skybreaker 1 point 3 years ago

What movie from last year did you think deserved to be "best picture"?

path: 0 4622869, hotness: undefined, score: 1, children: 0

paddirn 1 point 3 years ago

Same. I generally like sci-fi stuff and like weird, reality bending stuff, but I just found the movie OK. Not bad, I still liked it, but not on whatever level it was getting placed on by pop culture. I understood everything happening in the movie, I wasn’t lost ever. I’m assuming this was being done by the Hollywood hype machine, desperate for a hit. I feel like this happens every other year or so where I’ll notice a movie comes out that everyone is talking about. Alot of times the movie comes out late in the year, but then almost instantly gets a big award, which will then get added to the trailers. It’s like, waitaminute, was there really nothing else good that came out this year or is this movie actually that good? I suspect there’s some sort of Hollywood pay-to-play system at work where studios buy out spots or something on movies they’re trying to hype up.

path: 0 4569042, hotness: undefined, score: 1, children: 1

EGG_CREAM 9 points 3 years ago

Not everything is a conspiracy. Its fine that you didn't love it, but is it really so hard to believe that others might have different tastes from you, that you make up a whole grand scheme with no evidence?

path: 0 4569042 4571470, hotness: undefined, score: 9, children: 0

thirteene 0 points 3 years ago

I've actually gotten a lot of flack from friends for disliking this movie. The plot is heavy handed, the symbolism is shoved down your throat "everything bagel is everything", changing languages mid sentence makes conversations hard to follow, and I personally did not identify with the cultural background.

Infinite universe removes stakes and motivation, there was no explanation for how or why we had these experiences. To drive the story, we had characters talking drastic action that made no sense, and had skills they couldn't possibly develop. The writers waived the ability to "show instead of tell" by using subversion of reality to keep the boring story engaging. Without rules and boundaries the subjection of reality served no purpose.

I eventually looked up what some of the characters represented because it won 7 Oscars, but it turns out that there was no deeper message than the delivered one and overstated political agedas that were forced in as well. Overall EEAAO was visually stunning but presented nothing of value.

path: 0 4581156, hotness: undefined, score: 0, children: 2

AFKBRBChocolate 5 points 3 years ago

I actually did like the mixed language conversations. I had a Chinese-American girlfriend for a number of years whose parents were from mainland China, and their conversations were always like that: they'd go between English and Chinese for sentences, or even individual words sometimes. Oh made it feel more authentic to me.

But a lot of the other stuff I agree with. Channeling a tepan chef in a fight was just an excuse for silliness (which is fine), especially since she seemed to be able to channel the martial arts master repeatedly, which likely would have been more effective in pretty much every case. It made no sense that the cuffs fell off when she challenged hotdog hands, being that her anatomy in this universe didn't appear to change, her hands just went limp.

Again, I'm okay with silly nonsense. I enjoyed it. I was just surprised by how highly rated it was.

path: 0 4581156 4581555, hotness: undefined, score: 5, children: 1

thirteene 2 points 3 years ago

Silliness is fine as a nod or one off, but EEAAO made it as massive of a plot point as Julia Roberts in Oceans 12. In writing your goal is clarify, mixed language conversations are a part of life but not story telling. I thoroughly enjoyed hot dog fingers, but it was overused.

path: 0 4581156 4581555 4581686, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 0

TigrisMorte -2 points 3 years ago

It was a stupid family drama hiding behind a fantasy curtain in an attempt to make it interesting instead of the boring garbage it is. None of the Fantasy elements were of any material importance to the story and added nothing but visuals to hide how depressing and dull it was.

path: 0 4571694, hotness: undefined, score: -2, children: 1

AFKBRBChocolate 2 points 3 years ago

I'd say the SF or fantasy elements were just a way of showing the impact of life choices along the way. But that's about it.

path: 0 4571694 4575066, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 0

ikiru -3 points 3 years ago

No, you aren't. My girlfriend and I hated it.

It was terrible, cliché humor trying to be deep through a pseudo-intellectual and self-centered understanding of nihilism but failing.

path: 0 4567668, hotness: undefined, score: -3, children: 1

wilberfan 2 points 3 years ago

Tried three times to get thru it. So for me, literally unwatchable. 🤷‍♂️

path: 0 4567668 4570972, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 0

sir_pronoun -11 points 3 years ago

Hm, yes. You are very strange.

path: 0 4566758, hotness: undefined, score: -11, children: 1

AFKBRBChocolate 1 point 3 years ago

I'm okay with that

path: 0 4566758 4575200, hotness: undefined, score: 1, children: 0

dmonzel -14 points 3 years ago

Yes, you're strange for not loving EEAAO.

Seriously though, while you may have horrible taste, that's ok. Everyone is allowed to have at least one fault and still be a good person.

Edit: yeesh, tough crowd around here. Seems my joke fell flat.

path: 0 4567013, hotness: undefined, score: -14, children: 2

AFKBRBChocolate 3 points 3 years ago

Too many people would make that comment seriously, so it wasn't obviously a joke. But I didn't downvote you!

path: 0 4567013 4575925, hotness: undefined, score: 3, children: 1

dmonzel 3 points 3 years ago

Thank you for having good enough taste to not downvote. I take back half of what I said! lol

path: 0 4567013 4575925 4576633, hotness: undefined, score: 3, children: 0

moviesandtv

@lemmy.film

login for more options

General discussion about movies and TV shows.

Spoilers are strictly forbidden in post titles.

Posts soliciting spoilers (endings, plot elements, twists, etc.) should contain [spoilers] in their title. Comments in these posts do not need to be hidden in spoiler MarkDown if they pertain to the title's subject matter.

Otherwise, spoilers but must be contained in MarkDown as follows:

::: your spoiler warning
the crazy movie ending that no one saw coming!
:::

Your mods are here to help if you need any clarification!

Subcommunities: The Bear (FX) - [!thebear@lemmy.film](/c/thebear @lemmy.film)

Related communities: !entertainment@beehaw.org !moviesuggestions@lemmy.world

go to feed...

moviesandtv

@lemmy.film

login for more options

General discussion about movies and TV shows.

Spoilers are strictly forbidden in post titles.

Posts soliciting spoilers (endings, plot elements, twists, etc.) should contain [spoilers] in their title. Comments in these posts do not need to be hidden in spoiler MarkDown if they pertain to the title's subject matter.

Otherwise, spoilers but must be contained in MarkDown as follows:

::: your spoiler warning
the crazy movie ending that no one saw coming!
:::

Your mods are here to help if you need any clarification!

Subcommunities: The Bear (FX) - [!thebear@lemmy.film](/c/thebear @lemmy.film)

Related communities: !entertainment@beehaw.org !moviesuggestions@lemmy.world

go to feed...