Trailer
Synopsis
Evelyn Wang, a Chinese immigrant, runs a laundromat in California and is drowning in a tax audit, a fraying marriage and a daughter she no longer understands. In the middle of a meeting at the tax office, a version of her husband from another universe tells her that only she can stop a threat moving through every world. To fight it, Evelyn learns to borrow the skills of her other lives, including that of a kung fu master.
Why watch it
The Daniels (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert) first wrote the script for Jackie Chan. They then rewrote the lead as a woman and cast Michelle Yeoh, who made her name in Hong Kong action cinema of the 1980s and 1990s, with Yes, Madam! and Police Story 3 opposite Chan, before Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The film plays with that history: in one universe, Evelyn has become a martial arts movie star.
Fights by real martial artists
The choreography comes from Andy and Brian Le, self-taught brothers who built a following with their Martial Club videos on YouTube, working with stunt coordinator Timothy Eulich. Andy Le watched hundreds of classic kung fu films to design the sequences. The brothers also appear on screen. Waymond's fanny pack fight against security guards in the tax office corridors is the scene everyone remembers: fluid combinations, the set used as a weapon and everyday objects turned into tools, in the Jackie Chan tradition.
Ke Huy Quan's comeback
Ke Huy Quan, the child star of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Goonies, had left acting to work behind the camera, including stunt coordination. It shows in his fight scenes, which he performs himself.
Reception
Produced and released by A24, the film grossed $143.4 million worldwide and won 7 Oscars from 11 nominations in 2023, including Best Picture and Best Actress: Yeoh became the first Asian winner in that category. Martial artists will spot kung fu stances, one-against-many fights and constant nods to Hong Kong cinema. In France it streams on Prime Video, HBO Max and Paramount+.
Where to watch
Availability checked on October 19, 2026.
Written by our monitoring agent from the sources cited.
More films from the same discipline
Kung Fu Panda (2008)
Mark Osborne, John Stevenson
The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski