Everything Everywhere All at Once | Important Motifs

In this section of our Colossus Movie Guide for Everything Everywhere All at Once, we look at important motifs that help us understand the film. 

Cast

• Evelyn Quan Wang – Michelle Yeoh
• Waymond Wang – Ke Huy Quan
• Joy Wang/Jobu Tupaki – Stephanie Hsu
• Becky – Tallie Medel
• Gong Gong – James Hong
• Deirdre Beaubeirdre – Jamie Lee Curtis
• Debbie – Jenny Slate
• Written by – Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
• Directed by – Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert

Important motifs in Everything Everywhere All at Once

The Bagel

The Everything Bagel that threatens to destroy the multiverse is a visual representation of nihilism, depression, death, self-destruction. The meaningless and emptiness of the world. There’s the idea that if you have everything, you have nothing. When Jobu Joy tries to walk into the bagel, you can read it as symbolic for walking out of Evelyn’s life completely. Or even more extreme: as representative of Joy on the brink of s***ide. 

While the bagel itself is a silly visual that fits the tone of the movie, the emotions it comes to represent are anything but silly. They’re very real things that many of us deal with on a daily basis or have faced at some point. 

The googly eyes

Googly eyes are goofy. They’re stupid. But they are fun. They transform any boring, basic object into something that suddenly has life and personality. The same way The Daniels used the bagel to represent a negative outlook, they use the googly eyes to represent a positive one. It’s a powerful moment when Evelyn puts the single googly eye on her forehead, as it represents an opening up of her “third eye” to a higher state of being, one that’s calm, positive, and empowered. 

What are your thoughts?

Are there more motifs you think should be part of the Colossus Movie Guide for Everything Everywhere All at Once? Leave your thoughts below and we’ll consider them for the guide.