In a twist made all the more ironic by its title, indie darling Everything Everywhere All At Once has been banned in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia due to its content. The film has been similarly banned in several other Persian Gulf states, such as Kuwait.
According to Deadline, the film has been banned due to homosexual content. Stephanie Hsu’s character, Joy Wang, is a lesbian, and Michell Yeoh’s character Evelyn has another version of herself in the movie that is in a same-sex relationship with Jamie Lee Curtis’s Deirdre Beaubeirdra.
Homosexuality is illegal in the region, and its depiction in film is often censored or outright banned. Recent films that have been banned include West Side Story, Eternals, and just last month, Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness. The United Arab Emirates recently introduced a 21+ rating that would allow adults to view movies with LGBTQ content, and Doctor Strange 2 will be shown there. However, it is banned in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and future World Cup host Qatar.
Everything Everywhere All At Once is proving to be one of those rare indie films that bring in a mainstream audience, despite having a dizzying plot that involves dimensional crossovers and potentially infinite lifelines for its characters. It’s already brought in a tidy $35 million at the box office and seems on track to continue. The movie has brought in overwhelmingly positive reviews as well.
In better news, filmgoers in the UK will soon be able to catch the film in theaters despite the movie not having a distributor in the country. Production company A24 has opted to release the film itself and will begin showing it on 100 screens there beginning May 13.
