Everything Everywhere All At Once – 4K Review

This post contains affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure here.

Lionsgate Films | 2022

R | 2hrs 19 min | Martial Arts | Sc-Fi | Action | Adventure

HD | 1080P | Dolby Atmos | Dolby TrueHD 7.1

Native 4K | 2160P | Dolby Vision | HDR10 | Dolby Atmos | Dolby TrueHD 7.1

Aspect Ratios: 1.85:1, 2.39:1

Staring: Michelle Yeoh | Stephanie Hsu | Ke Huy Quan | Jenny Slate | Harry Shum Jr. | James Hong

Directed by: Dan Kwan | Daniel Scheinert

Ratings & Reviews

Please see here for my comments on reviewing movies.

My ratings are simple being marked out of a maximum of 5+. My reviews are biased towards the technical production aspects of the film with brief comments about the story line. Extras, sorry, that’s just not my ‘bag’.

So what did the 4K HDR10 video look like? Very good, but not reference, and the 7.1 soundtrack? Similarly, just sub reference.

Entertainment: 5-

Video: 5-

Audio: 5-

Technical Review – Native 4K UHD HDR10

Everything Everywhere All At Once was captured digitally in the ARRIRAW format at 2.8K and 3.4K by cinematographer Larkin Seiple using Arri Alexa Mini cameras. Many different lenses were used to create the distinctive look and feel of each of the multiverses, mixing anamorphic and spherical as required, using; Atlas Orion, Hawk V-Lite, Scorpiolens, Todd-AO, Zeiss Master Prime and even vintage Todd-AO lenses. It was finished as a 4K Digital Intermediate with the aspect ratio varying between 1.33:1, 1.78 :1, 1.85:1, 2.00:1, and 2.39:1 and graded for HDR for this 4K release in both Dolby Vision and HDR10. This triple-layer BD100 disc has been well authored and shows no use of noise reduction or edge sharpening and no obvious compression artifacts. However,fake grain is deliberately added for effect in some scenes. The package also contains the HD version with Dolby Atmos and a redeemable digital code.

This is a variable aspect production, so be warned, I understand that everything is filmed to fit within a 1.78:1 frame. I run a constant height image and to my surprise I did not find the aspect ratio changes in the least distracting. However, I dislike any subtitling finding it very distracting, so the necessary forced random incursion of subtitles for those times when Chinese was spoken became annoying.

The image jumps onto your screen as an almost reference HDR10 presentation. With the film shot in a high resolution format, this 4K release has generally good overall image clarity with sharp detail and refined texturing, that all vary by multiverse and degree of chaos, with some soft focus shots thrown in. From the Wang home nick knacks, the laundromat machines and clutter, the IRS office objects to the clothing, threads and facial close-ups generally providing good detail and definition. With facial pores, wrinkles, eyelashes, hair strands and features, all accurately rendered without any undue exaggerations. Fake grain, that is well managed by the compression, is clearly observable in some shots, particularly the 1.33:1 flashbacks. CGI and special effects integration are good, having realistic textures, blending well with the real action shots and rarely looking soft, unless required to be so. However, there was nothing dazzling, unique or special about them, occasionally becoming a little cluttered and raggedy.

Even though the film commences with a rather subdued low-key contrast creating a sombre tone, contrast balance was good throughout, from the brilliant whites of the various lamps and the everything bagel realm to the deeper and noise free blacks in many scenes that provided good low level and shadow detail. Peak whites and overall highlights provided clean detail with no clipping like the bagel realm, sunlight, the many light sources and the sheen off various metallic surfaces. All creating a good dynamic contrast range and enhancing visibility of objects in the many interior shots, creating a good depth of image.

The color palette presents with a muted array of earthly tones with a limited mix of vibrant colors that vary between multiverses. Color fidelity is good throughout with saturated primaries and secondaries and hues that are generally more muted. From the earthly tones, tans and warm yellows to the teals of the different reality scenes and reds, blues and oranges seen in the various multiverses, all reflecting the tonal shifts in the story. Skin tones and facial complexions throughout looking very natural.

Overall I would have preferred things to be a little less murky in some of the more dimly lit scenes, many of which are tinged with teal grading that really doesn’t help support finer details.

This fantasy video is very good on all fronts, almost making into the reference category.

Audio – Dolby TrueHD 7.1

Everything Everywhere All At Once leaps into home theaters with an solid Dolby Atmos mix that defaults to Dolby TrueHD 7.1 in my system. The soundtrack was quite engaging whether during an emotional drama or an action scene, having extended solid bass, clarity and dynamics.

The overall sound presentation is energetic, with good sub involvement and surround action. The soundstage is wide, and surrounds are often active with ambience, directional cues and movement, delivering an environment that drops the listener both into calm environments and action-packed spectacles alike. Effects placement are accurate and natural, with movement in both the rear and side surrounds, together with the general environmental and room acoustics effects helping to pull you into the many realities. From those quieter, dialogue-heavy sequences steeped in surrounding activity, to Evelyn’s martial arts combat and jumps between realities all filling the surrounds and front main speakers, helping to keep you engaged in the scene.

Sub action is solid and on occasions deep, fully supporting the soundtrack and Evelyn’s martial arts and “travels” to alternate realities, digging all the way down to the 20Hz regions. Imaging continuously feels broad and expansive following the action as it moves on and off-screen. As a character-driven movie conversations and lines of dialogue takes top priority, being crystal clear and well detailed with an open mid-range and solid front-center imaging and prioritization no matter how loud and aggressive any supporting action.

Flushing out the soundscape and supporting the movie throughout its entire length, the films score of experimental post rock is composed by the band Son Lux and offers a good supportive mix, being seamlessly immersive, perfectly clear and adding some surprisingly low bass. Hitting a good balance between the dialogue and effects the score provides a light spill into the surrounds and good integration within the soundstage.

A solid audio track that compliments the absurdist fantasy video.

Story Overview

With Evelyn Wang’s (Michelle Yeoh) laundromat heading for failure and her marriage to husband Waymond (Ke Huy Quan) doing the same, she tries to cope with her collapsing world and failing relationships with her father Gong Gong (James Hong) and daughter Joy (Stephanie Hsu). During an unpleasant meeting with Deirdre (Jamie Lee Curtis) a difficult IRS auditor, an unpredicted multiverse rift opens up into parallel realities. Evelyn now has to decide whether or not to enter these new realms, tap into her newfound powers and lives and prevent an evil entity from destroying the multiverse of unseen worlds?

My 2 cents

To my amazement, this film garnered eleven Academy Award nominations in 2023, and brought home seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Director, Editing, and Original Screenplay. Remarkably enough for a genre film, it also won three of the four acting categories; Best Actress for Michelle Yeoh, Best Supporting Actress for Jamie Lee Curtis, and Best Supporting Actor for Ke Huy Quan.

Well, I had to pay attention to this one, no dozing off here which I almost did. I found this film to be a little tedious and occasionally teetering on an unenjoyable watch. This is absolutely not one of your average genre of an action packed, time travel, multi-dimensional, sci-fi movies and just seemed to lack coherence at times. In short, a fairly straightforward life story that you, well at least I, had to concentrate on, all driven by an interesting set of characters. Was it all about being overworked, under appreciated and the choices and decisions we make everyday effecting us in ways we overlook as we travel lives highways?……..You decide.

Purchase from Amazon here.

See my other Blu-ray reviews here.