If You Enjoyed the Movie “Stewart Couldn’t Save the Universe,” There’s Another Movie You Definitely Need to Watch.
“Stewart Couldn’t Save the Universe” is perhaps the most unexpected series on television right now. Another spinoff of the wildly successful “Big Bang Theory,” this show, with its focus on the original series’ supporting characters and its enthusiastic exploration of the show’s insane multiverse plot, has created a hilarious, dynamic, and inventive sitcom that simultaneously satisfies the nostalgic need for more scenes from that universe while offering something entirely fresh and new. If you’re looking for more sci-fi adventures and humor that explore the multiverse with wit, imagination, and plenty of heart (and you’ve already watched shows with a similar vibe ), there’s one you should watch immediately: “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once .”
After Stewart fails to save the universe, watch Everything, Everywhere, All at Once.
Everything Everywhere All at Once , written and directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (known as “The Daniels”), tells the story of Evelyn Kuan Wang (Michelle Yeoh), a down-on-her-luck middle-aged Chinese immigrant who runs a failing laundromat and struggles with every aspect of her life, from her relationships with her father (James Hong), husband (Ke Hui Kuan), and daughter (Stephanie Xu) to an impending audit by the IRS. During an IRS interview, her body is suddenly taken over, and she comes face to face with an alternate version of her husband, Waymond, who informs her of the existence of multiple universes and versions of herself, and that she must access the skills and life experiences of these alternate versions to save the multiverse from being destroyed by Jobu Tupaki—an alternate version of her daughter, Joy.
If you enjoy the wild adventure that “Stuart Can’t Save the Universe” offers, where the gang regularly finds themselves in new alternate worlds, then “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once” is perfect. As Evelyn tries to understand the nature of her existence in the multiverse and figure out how to survive the bizarre and mind-boggling attacks unleashed by Jobu Tupaki, we see a dizzying variety of crazy universes. We see Evelyn as a martial arts star (not unlike Yeoh in real life), a scientist, a teppanyaki chef, a woman with sausages for fingers (in a universe where everyone has sausages for fingers), and, in one of the most touching moments, literally as a rock.
If you’re drawn to the emotional depth of the show, where Stuart searches for a universe where he’s worthy of being worthy and hasn’t ruined everything, then the premise of Everything will touch you deeply. Evelyn was chosen because she’s the worst version of herself, the version that has consistently failed at everything she’s tried, and therefore the version with the most hidden potential. Her emotional journey from nihilism and anger to love and acceptance, as she learns to fight for what she loves, is incredibly moving. Like the show, the film uses aspects of the multiverse to flesh out the characters, allowing us to see how an ordinary person with ordinary problems can face a terrifyingly abnormal challenge.
Plus, the movie is just plain funny . How can you watch the scene where the humble Waymond Wang defeats a gang of guards using skills borrowed from the multiverse and not want to see the rest of the film?
Watch Everything, Everywhere, All at Once on Hulu or rent on Prime Video .
After Stuart Couldn’t Save the Universe , there are a few more movies worth watching.
The multiverse may be infinite, but the movies about it are not. If you’ve seen Everything, Everywhere, and You’re looking for even more compelling sci-fi stories, here are a few more films that capture the atmosphere inherent in Stewart’s work.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005)
Douglas Adams’ classic tale of an ordinary guy named Arthur Dent, who is saved by his friend (and secret alien) Ford Prefect when Earth is destroyed to make way for a hyperspace bypass, isn’t strictly a multiverse story, but it does have similar elements. This is thanks to the Infinite Improbability Drive, which allows faster-than-light travel, passing through every point in every possible universe simultaneously, leading to some truly bizarre things (the hilariously inconsistent timeline resulting from the story’s many iterations also adds to the sense of multiverse madness). It’s an absurdist’s dream, playing with every conceivable sci-fi cliche and offering a surprisingly touching tale of a man struggling with his own sense of insignificance in an increasingly confusing existence.
Rent The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy on Prime Video .
Deadpool and Wolverine (2024)
Want to spice up your multiverse-themed humor? Then check out Deadpool & Wolverine , in which everyone’s favorite fast-talking mercenary (Ryan Reynolds) must travel across multiple universes to find a replacement for Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), who famously died nobly at the end of 2017’s Logan for, er, reasons. The film is chock-full of hilarious moments, fourth-wall breaking, and hyper-violence—but it also has a touching emotional core.
Watch Deadpool & Wolverine online on Disney Plus or rent on Prime Video .
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984)
If Everything, Everywhere, and Everything is too boring and tedious for you, check out this fever-dream-like 1984 sci-fi film. When rock star, scientist, and surgeon Buckaroo Banzai (Peter Weller) tests a device that allows him to phase through matter, he momentarily finds himself in the eighth dimension—and unwittingly attracts the attention of aliens who want to use his technology to free their fellow humans trapped there, threatening the very existence of humanity. It’s one of the strangest atmospheres ever captured on film, but it’s also hilarious and one of the most unique films you’ll ever see.
Watch The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension on the Roku Channel or rent on Prime Video .
John Dies at the End (2013)
If you enjoy the unexpected twists and turns that come with Stuart’s failed attempt to save the universe , traveling through alternate universes with his friends, then get ready for John Dies at the End . To say the story is complex would be an understatement—it rapidly switches between the past, present, and future of various dimensions—but it begins with a man named David (Chase Williamson) being contacted by his recently deceased friend Rob, who tells him about a drug called Soy Sauce that allows people to remember the future and allows entities to cross over from one universe to another—and they cross over into David’s universe. It’s wild and often very funny, so if you’re looking for something unusual, this is the movie for you.
Watch John Dies in the End on the Roku Channel or rent it on Prime Video .
Galaxy Quest (1999)
If you’re looking for a little more straightforward humor, this modern classic is perfect. There’s no multiverse, but there’s plenty of good-natured humor aimed squarely at sci-fi tropes (especially the Star Trek universe and its, er, passionate fans). Galaxy Quest is a Star Trek -style television series that aliens called Thermians think is a documentary. When their civilization is threatened by a villain named Sarris, they kidnap the actors (including Tim Allen, Alan Rickman, Sigourney Weaver, and Sam Rockwell) from the show to help them defeat Sarris, and yes, that leads to plenty of hilarious moments. But there’s also plenty of heart and character development, if that’s your thing.
Watch Galaxy Quest online on Kanopy or rent it on Prime Video .