SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Out of the many films released in 2022, ranging from hundred-million-dollar blockbusters to arthouse films to streaming-exclusive films, one film stood out from among the rest at the 95th Academy Awards. The Daniels’ “Everything Everywhere All at Once” was arguably the film sensation of the past year, beloved by audiences and critics alike. The film has so far grossed $127 million worldwide, garnered a 94% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and won seven awards at the Oscars, including Best Picture.
Out of the four most prestigious Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress), “Everything Everywhere All at Once” won three, with the Daniels jointly winning Best Director and Michelle Yeoh winning Best Actress. Best Actor went to Brendan Fraser for his performance in Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale.” “Everything Everywhere All at Once” also won Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Screenplay and Best Film Editing.
By all accounts, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” has become a massive success. However, what makes the success of “Everything Everywhere All at Once” especially astounding is the fact that it is not one of those glitzy, expensive blockbusters. It is an independent film. Linda Ellman, a professor of television, radio and film at Syracuse University, believes that the success “Everything Everywhere All at Once” has achieved is something special.
“I think that the industry almost wrote off indie films right before COVID. It was very hard to break through the clutter with an indie film,” Ellman said. “There were so many big blockbuster franchise movies out there that it was tough to get an indie film made.”
One factor that has played a major role in the success of “Everything Everywhere All at Once” is the film’s distributor, A24. They are a distributor of independent films, having released films such as “The Florida Project,” “Lady Bird,” and “The Whale” over the past decade. A24 films often receive universal acclaim, with “Everything Everywhere All at Once” being perhaps the most visible example. This acclaim has translated to awards success, especially at the recent Oscars where A24-distributed films won each of the four top awards. Ellman believes the film distribution company’s meteoric rise and sustained success is due in large part to the company’s business model.
“What A24 has done so brilliantly is it realizes who the audience is,” Ellman said. “You need to know who your audience is.”
Ellman says A24’s business model has gone a long way towards getting people to talk about the films it distributes. “A good story well told is going to get people talking about it,” Ellman said. “And if they start talking about your film, that’s a good thing, especially if you’re an indie and you don’t have the money to spend on marketing.”
In the case of “Everything Everywhere All at Once” in particular, increased representation has also played to the film’s success. Best Actress winner Michelle Yeoh, Best Supporting Actor winner Ke Huy Quan, and Daniel Kwan, who is one half of the Daniels duo that helmed the film, all identify as Asian. Best Supporting Actress nominee Stephanie Hsu also identifies as Asian. Ellman sees the success linked to representation as indicative of a trend across all of Hollywood.
“People who go to films and such like to see people like themselves on the screen, who look like themselves, who think like themselves, that act like themselves,” Ellman said. “And Hollywood has finally realized that it gives them bank at the box office. It’s good for the box office.”
Ellman says that while challenges do lie ahead for A24 and the independent films it distributes, she is also optimistic about the distributor’s future, saying that the distribution company could, with time, match the brand recognition of the titans of the film industry.
“They’ve only been around ten years. Look how long Warner Bros. has been around. Look how long Disney has been around. You know, what they have accomplished in 10 years is absolutely remarkable,” Ellman said.
“If they continue to be smart and take risks and find good product, good stories well told, and market them and distribute them as smartly as they have, you know, what they’ve accomplished is just incredible. Absolutely incredible. And I don’t see any reason why they wouldn’t continue to do so.”
