The movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once draw you into a kaleidoscopic blend of genre, narrative invention and deep emotional stakes. This genre‑bending sci‑fi action drama follows an immigrant laundromat owner suddenly swept across alternate universes to save existence while reconciling her family and it combines absurd humour with heartfelt human connection, martial arts kinetic energy and existential threat.
For our movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once list, similarity is defined along the axes of tone (wild but intimate), narrative engine (unexpected incursion into alternate realities or heightened worlds), themes (identity, family, legacy), character dynamics (complex parent child or partner relationships) and stakes (personal and cosmic). We also mix era and region to keep the journey fresh while staying inside that strict similarity ring.
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Where movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once sit in today’s multiversal family cinema
1) Inception (2010)
- Runtime: 148 min
- Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon‑Levitt
- Director: Christopher Nolan
- Genre: Science fiction / Heist thriller
- IMDb Rating: 8.8/10
- Why it’s similar: multiverse‑style layered reality and family emotional core
The film opens with a masterful hook as a thief infiltrates dreams to extract secrets which sets off a premise of collapsing realities and loved ones caught in the crossfire. Inception sees its protagonist lead a team through nested dream universes where time and space bend under high stakes. The tone is atmospheric yet propulsive combining cerebral puzzles with blockbuster energy, a clear echo of the tone in movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once. The character dynamics centre on a father figure haunted by loss trying to return to his children reminiscent of the parent child and partner relationships in the seed film. The world motif is one of shifting architectures and layered consciousness much like the multiverse chaos of the seed. The emotional payoff aligns in that redemption and reconciliation underpin the sci‑fi spectacle. If you loved movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once for their mix of spectacle and heart you will admire this one. A crisp closer to a mind bending journey that still keeps a human centre.
2) The Matrix (1999)
- Runtime: 136 min
- Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne
- Director: The Wachowskis
- Genre: Science fiction / Action
- IMDb Rating: 8.7/10
- Why it’s similar: reality questioning adventure with personal stakes
This film presents a hook where a computer hacker discovers his reality is fabricated and becomes central to rescuing humankind. The premise evolves into a war across layers of existence and a character discovering deeper truths paralleling the narrative engine of movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once. The tone is kinetic and surreal yet grounded in human relationships and identity. The character dynamics show the hero wrestling with purpose and with mentors and partners similar to the familial ties in the seed film. The setting toggles between mundane world and fantastical virtual realm echoing the world motif of alternate lives. The emotional payoff comes in acceptance of self and mission. Fans of movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once will enjoy this mix of action metaphysics and emotional core. A striking closer that changed the action sci‑fi paradigm.
3) The Lobster (2015)
- Runtime: 119 min
- Starring: Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz
- Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
- Genre: Dystopian / Dark comedy
- IMDb Rating: 7.1/10
- Why it’s similar: absurd surrealism meets human relationship stakes
In this dystopian tale the hook establishes a world where single people must find a partner or transform into animals which drives a premise of social absurdity and emotional truth. The narrative engine is alternate world scenario blending dark comedy and emotional realism aligning with movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once. The tone is bleak yet whimsical offering a modern folklore touch. The character dynamics explore romantic and familial longing in odd contexts not far off the relational exploration in the seed film. The setting is rigid and strange yet emotionally familiar mirroring the seed’s multiversal laundry‑mat motif. The emotional payoff is about acceptance and connection in unlikely places. If you liked movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once for their willingness to be weird and heartfelt you will appreciate this one. A crisp closer that is both unsettling and strangely touching.
4) Swiss Army Man (2016)
- Runtime: 97 min
- Starring: Paul Dano, Daniel Radcliffe
- Director: Daniels
- Genre: Surreal comedy / Adventure
- IMDb Rating: 7.0/10
- Why it’s similar: same directors and absurd buddy quest with emotional core
The film begins with a man stranded on an island encountering a talking corpse which sets off a premise of bizarre adventure and self discovery. The narrative engine is absurdity mixed with emotional striving matching the creative spirit of movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once. The tone swings between playful and profound giving a mythic adventure flavour. The character dynamics focus on unlikely companions learning compassion and purpose relatable to the family and partner arcs in the seed film. The setting combines wilderness and imagination akin to the universe hopping in the seed film. The emotional payoff centres on human connection and existential acceptance. If you loved movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once for their daring inventiveness and heart you will find delight here. A crisp closer that rethinks survival purpose and friendship.
5) Cloud Atlas (2012)
- Runtime: 172 min
- Starring: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry
- Director: The Wachowskis & Tom Tykwer
- Genre: Science fiction / Epic drama
- IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
- Why it’s similar: interwoven lives across time and universe, high stakes personal themes
This epic hooks you with six interlinked stories spanning centuries and worlds establishing a premise of interconnected fate much like movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once. The narrative engine is kaleidoscopic and ambitious echoing the multiversal layering of the seed film. The tone is sweeping and emotional filled with ensemble quest energy. The character dynamics involve multiple incarnations and relationships echoing across time reflecting legacy and familial bonds in the seed film. The world motif spans from the nineteenth century to distant futures much as the seed film traverses alternate lives. The emotional payoff emphasises hope connection and defiance of oppression. If you enjoyed movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once for their broad ambition and human heart you will appreciate this one. A crisp closer that rewards patience and emotional engagement.
Darker, more satirical routes into movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once
6) Sorry to Bother You (2018)
- Runtime: 112 min
- Starring: Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson
- Director: Boots Riley
- Genre: Satirical sci‑fi / Comedy drama
- IMDb Rating: 6.9/10
- Why it’s similar: social surrealism with identity pressure and cosmic feeling
The film hooks with a telemarketing job turned surreal revolt, a premise of escalating absurdity and societal stakes. The narrative engine blends satire, sci‑fi and moral reckoning, akin to the tone of movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once. The tone is edgy and inventive delivering biting humour with emotional resonance. The character dynamics revolve around a young man navigating ambition family pressure and personal ethics reminiscent of the seed film’s familial and identity arcs. The setting shifts from the mundane office world into twisted corporate dystopia reflecting the seed film’s sudden jump into extraordinary realms. The emotional payoff centres on liberation self worth and challenging structures. If you liked movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once for their combination of weirdness and message you will find this provocative and engaging. A crisp closer that leaves you thinking long after.
7) Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
- Runtime: 113 min
- Starring: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt
- Director: Doug Liman
- Genre: Science fiction / Action
- IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
- Why it’s similar: time loop action with character growth and high stakes
This film hooks via a soldier reliving a battle over and over presenting a premise of looping timelines and personal transformation. Its narrative engine of repeated lives and evolving self aligns with movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once. The tone mixes blockbuster spectacle with humorous levity and emotional weight. The character dynamics focus on a reluctant hero and a mentor ally partner mirroring the seed film’s growth through relationship bonds. The setting alternates between everyday military terrain and alien threat zones similar to the seed film’s shift from laundromat to multiverse chaos. The emotional payoff comes in sacrifice growth and connection. If you loved movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once for their bold action and heart you will enjoy this one. A crisp closer that balances fun and meaningful stakes.
8) Palm Springs (2020)
- Runtime: 90 min
- Starring: Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti
- Director: Max Barbakow
- Genre: Comedy / Sci‑fi romance
- IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
- Why it’s similar: time loop romantic adventure with partner arc
The hook is at a wedding where two people get trapped in a time loop giving a premise of repeated lives and emotional recalibration. The narrative engine of looping existence and personal growth echoes movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once. The tone is playful yet introspective offering light‑hearted banter once. The character dynamics centre on connection vulnerability and shared crisis akin to the seed film’s relational core. The setting is a generic wedding venue turned existential playground paralleling the seed film’s shift from ordinary to extraordinary. The emotional payoff emphasises acceptance and living fully. If you liked movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once for their blend of fun smart and touching you will appreciate this one. A crisp closer that keeps you smiling and thinking.
Brighter, family friendly paths through movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once
9) Big Fish (2003)
- Runtime: 125 min
- Starring: Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney
- Director: Tim Burton
- Genre: Fantasy / Drama
- IMDb Rating: 8.0/10
- Why it’s similar: mythic adventure and father son bond in heightened reality
The film hooks with a son revisiting his father’s tall tales forming a premise of mythic storytelling and legacy. Its narrative engine of blending fantasy and real relational stakes aligns with movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once. The tone is whimsical and warm with a family friendly fantasy current. The character dynamics focus on father son conflict and reconciliation echoing the seed film’s generational relationship. The world motif includes giant fish travelling carnivals and strange realms much as the seed film traverses multiverses. The emotional payoff centres on understanding acceptance and love. If you loved movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once for their emotional heart and imaginative setting you will enjoy this pick. A crisp closer that charms and moves in equal measure.
10) Spider‑Man: Into the Spider‑Verse (2018)
- Runtime: 117 min
- Starring: Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson
- Director: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman
- Genre: Animation / Superhero
- IMDb Rating: 8.4/10
- Why it’s similar: multiverse family fantasy with layered identity stakes
This animated film hooks with a teenager gaining Spider‑Man powers and discovering multiple parallel Spider‑People forming a premise of alternate selves and world hopping. Its narrative engine of multiverse collision aligns squarely with movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once. The tone is vibrant witty and emotionally grounded giving an urban fantasy pulse. The character dynamics include mentor kids and father figures sibling like relationships and self discovery reminiscent of the seed film’s complex family ties. The setting jumps from Brooklyn to alternate dimensions mirroring the seed film’s universe leaps. The emotional payoff emphasises responsibility connection and embracing one’s legacy. If you enjoyed movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once for their creativity and heart you will love this one. A crisp closer that delights and inspires.
11) Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
- Runtime: 139 min
- Starring: Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan
- Director: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
- Genre: Science fiction / Action comedy drama
- IMDb Rating: 8.0/10
- Why it’s similar: this is the seed film itself defining the list criteria
This is the film that inspired our list, a Chinese American immigrant laundromat owner swept into a frantic multiverse adventure to save existence and reconcile her family. It combines absurd action heartfelt family drama and existential stakes in a unique narrative engine. The tone is wild inventive and deeply emotional, a mix of modern folklore and bold genre play. Character dynamics revolve around mother daughter spouse and father relationships in collision with cosmic stakes. The world motif stretches from a failing business to all possible lives and universes. The emotional payoff emphasises connection forgiveness and love across realities. If you have not seen it yet this is the foundation for watching all the other films. A crisp closer that underlines why the list exists.
12) After Yang (2021)
- Runtime: 96 min
- Starring: Colin Farrell, Jodie Turner‑Smith
- Director: Kogonada
- Genre: Science fiction / Drama
- IMDb Rating: 6.7/10
- Why it’s similar: quiet sci‑fi with family identity and existential arcs
The film hooks with the breakdown of a family’s android companion presenting a premise of repair memory and identity. Its narrative engine explores how technology and human relationships intertwine aligning with movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once in theme if not in scale. The tone is contemplative and tender offering coming‑of‑age nuance. The character dynamics focus on parents daughter and machine in a triangular intimacy paralleling the seed film’s family focus. The setting is near future and calm contrasting the seed film’s chaos but maintaining emotional resonance. The emotional payoff is acceptance of change legacy and connection. If you loved movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once for the way they humanise big ideas you will appreciate this one. A crisp closer that lingers quietly.
Conclusion: Build your watchlist from movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once
If you are drawn to movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once you are looking for more than loud images, you want gentle school magic turns, higher stakes but readable picks, quick lighthearted wins, classic myth creature trials, clue hunt family adventures, modern city spellcraft, team quest energy and even romantic sparkle. The selections above deliver that by offering coming‑of‑age warmth, hero’s journey pivots and inventive multiverse play. From the layered reality heist of Inception to the animated universe crossing in Spider‑Man: Into the Spider‑Verse there is a film for every viewer who loved the seed’s mix of absurdity and heart. The tone may shift from satire to fantasy yet each one shares that core of identity, connection and large stakes. Use the list as a journey, pick the one that resonates and dive in with your people. Enjoy the ride across worlds and timelines and let the emotional payoffs land. For deeper craft and genre context read the essays at British Film Institute and the multiverse and sci‑fi coverage at American Film Institute. This way your watchlist and your understanding both level up.
FAQ on movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once
Q1: What makes a film belong to the movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once group?
Q2: Are these movies all as fast and chaotic as the seed film?
Q3: Can I watch these with older kids or teens?
Q4: Why include time loop films next to multiverse films?
Q5: Do I have to watch the seed film before the others?
Q6: Is the order of the list a ranking?
