Everything Everywhere All At Once Has The Best Trailer Of 2021

Happy Trailer Tuesday, folks! Not only did we just receive what has been boldly promised to be "The most Nicolas Cage movie ever" with the hilariously meta trailer for "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent," but A24 and the quirky filmmaking duo known collectively as "The Daniels" (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert) also went ahead and dropped our first extended look at their follow-up to 2016's gloriously weird and incredibly heartfelt "Swiss Army Man," titled "Everything Everywhere All At Once." This trailer truly has to be seen to be believed, putting legendary actor Michelle Yeoh at the center of a multiverse-shattering story and easily coming in at the last possible minute in 2021 to distinguish itself as the trailer of the year.

No, movies obviously don't get any imaginary prizes at the hypothetical Oscars for what essentially amounts to "Best Marketing" and nobody's kidding themselves that an exceptionally exciting, well-edited trailer will either save cinema as we know it or have any real effect on the actual quality of the movie once it releases. That said, it's undeniable that "Everything Everywhere All At Once" instantly struck a visceral chord with film lovers upon its viral-ready arrival on Twitter earlier this morning and, given how eccentric and idiosyncratic these particular filmmakers are, that's something to be earnestly and unironically celebrated.

At a time when trailers — and, by extension, movies and shows themselves — tend to play it safe at all times, relying on tired needle drops to do the heavy-lifting, retreading old ground and presenting it as something "new," and sanding off the rough edges of their subject matter in an effort to appeal to the broadest audience possible, here comes "Everything Everywhere All At Once" to force viewers to engage with it on its own terms for a change and dare us to get on its level ... or get left behind. That's the kind of risk-taking we live for around here!

Let's just lay our cards out on the table right now. The two-and-a-half minutes we've seen from "Everything Everywhere All At Once" already makes better use of Michelle Yeoh than any other movie this year even seemed interested to attempt and presents the concept of multiverses with far more volatility, creativity, and genuine character drama than that certain multiverse-focused superhero blockbuster that, so far at least, appears to use it as a plot device for cameos and little else. Seriously, check out the synopsis and the trailer for "Everything Everywhere All At Once" if you still need convincing:

"...the film is a hilarious and big-hearted sci-fi action adventure about an exhausted Chinese American woman (Michelle Yeoh) who can't seem to finish her taxes."

From the synopsis and the opening seconds of the trailer alone, Michelle Yeoh's Evelyn Wang is presented as an everyday, painfully down-on-her-luck individual struggling with the most relatable problems imaginable. Cue the onset of otherworldly multiverse shenanigans that immediately throws her out of her depth entirely, plunging her into a cosmic conflict against an unknown evil that she humorously wants nothing to do with. Cleverly, this fracturing of space and time gives her the ability to tap into her thousands of alternate selves and "...access all their memories, their emotions, even their skills." Naturally, putting her acting range on display and embodying different versions of herself from all walks of life accounts for a large amount of the appeal. But even more than the nifty concept in and of itself, the footage boasts the unconventional editing, purposeful aspect ratio changes, and stylistic flourishes that immediately set this film apart from the crowd.

Between this and the trailers for "The Matrix Resurrections," consider us excited for more movies across a wide range of budget levels that take advantage of everything the medium of film has as its disposal, embracing abstract and non-literal storytelling fully in service of the story ... and not just excess for the sake of it. Kwan and Scheinert proved their incredible grasp of tone and storytelling instincts with "Swiss Army Man," a miracle of form meeting function that still packs a hefty thematic punch about finding beauty in the mundane. If "Everything Everywhere All At Once" lives up to the promise of this shockingly thrilling trailer, it's a safe bet that the Daniels are only just getting started.