“Yeah, we really, we’re proud of it, but it’s like, nah, not better than Parasite, not better than The Godfathers. No, that’s insane”—a humble Daniel Kwan on the news that Everything Everywhere All at Once has just become the highest rated film on Letterboxd. 

WATCH THE DANIELS’ ACCEPTANCE SPEECH HERE

In the decade-long history of Letterboxd, just two movies have held the top spot among our highest rated feature films: Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather and Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite. Now, the Daniels’ Everything Everywhere All at Once officially becomes the third, landing at the top with a 4.6 average rating out of five stars.

While Parasite took six months from its Palme d’Or winning 2019 Cannes premiere to climb to the top spot, becoming the first film to topple The Godfather’s crown on Letterboxd, Everything Everywhere All at Once has done it in just three short weeks. 

A family action-comedy (with a side of tax department drama) Everything Everywhere All at Once stars Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ke Huay Quan and Stephanie Hsu as many multiverse versions of their characters in a high-stakes fight for the existence of all humanity, set against the backdrop of a suburban laundromat, with an undercurrent of kindness. This bonkers combination from creative friends Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (the crazy brains behind Swiss Army Man) has captured hearts all over Letterboxd.

“We’re very overwhelmed,” Kwan tells us in an impromptu acceptance speech with Scheinert blasting suitably ceremonial music, after Gemma and Slim shared the news during an upcoming episode of The Letterboxd Show. “We would like to thank recency bias and just all the hardcore fans who are hyperbolically praising us, giving us five-star reviews.” You know who you are. 

The self-effacing Daniels worried that Everything Everywhere All at Once (which they referred to by the placeholder name Bubbles during production) is not as worthy as Letterboxd members say it is. “It’s almost like we sent each other, like, a video that we thought was funny, and then it went viral,” says Kwan.

“We think it’s good,” Scheinert clarifies. “Yeah, we’re proud of it,” agrees Kwan, “but it’s like, nah, not better than Parasite, not better than The Godfathers. No, that’s insane.” The Daniels suggest that they might make everyone they know, including their mothers, join Letterboxd just to temper the film’s success with one-star ratings—until they are informed that we are hip to vote manipulation and they may as well accept that they have made something people love. 

As Sophie writes, “The film’s message resonated with me in ways I had no idea were possible through a film like this,” while podcaster David Chen feels fully seen: “It spoke to me on such a core level that it felt genetically engineered to meet me at this point in my life. It may be my new favorite movie of all time. No joke.” Saturday Night Live’s Bowen Yang declares “This is one of the best things I’ve ever seen in my piece of shit life.” 

Letterboxd member lists that proudly feature the film include Fanny Pack Supremacy, I’m Always a Slut for Unusual Aspect Ratios, Maximalist Cinema, LGBT WOC, Bechdel Pass with Honors, The Asian American Woman and, naturally, Michelle Yeoh-a-thon. Plus, two highly specific lists devoted to Yeoh’s co-star: Ke Huy Quan Delivers a Heartfelt Plea That Brings a Legendary Asskicker Back from the Edge of a Nihilistic Fugue State and Movies where Ke Huy Quan kicks ass with a Fanny pack. 

Whether Everything Everywhere All at Once holds the top spot until the end of the year depends upon what else is coming down the pipe, and whether those yet to see it can handle the hype. “If you haven’t seen the movie yet,” Kwan suggests, “just, like, remember that it was made by these two idiots and just go in with appropriate expectations. Thank you, Letterboxd!”

Regardless of what else happens, the Daniels’ film is now officially a Top 250 family member, and will be for quite some time. (Thanks to Dave Vis and Jack Moulton, as always, for keeping our official lists up to date.) 

Catch up with Annie Lyons’ Letterboxd Festiville HQ red carpet report from the SXSW premiere of ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’, in which Ke Huy Quan shares his fanny pack wushu rope dart training regime. 

—Gemma Gracewood