Movies set in multiple universes, or more commonly known as, multiverse movies; have seen a huge surge in Hollywood lately, with the Marvel Cinematic Universe leading the charge, by having the multiverse being the current main storyline of the hit film franchise, and having two highly successful multiverse movies within six months from one another. Many audiences may not realize the multiverse is a concept that has been explored by Hollywood for decades; years before the MCU tackled the concept.
Movies such as Groundhog Day, The Lego Movie, Happy Death Day, Space Jam, and even Enchanted; have all tackled the concept with huge success, with each movie having a cult following of their own. But now more than ever, multiverse movies have become more relevant and entertaining, with the highly successful Spider-Man: No Way Home, the divisive Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness and the critically-loved Everything Everywhere All At Once. It is safe to say we have had our fair share of multiverse movies through the years, but what are the best multiverse movies?
8 The One (2001)
Being the very first movie to mix martial arts and the concept of the multiverse, Jet Li's The One beat the acclaimed Everything Everywhere All At Once to the punch by two decades. Long before audiences were familiar with the term "multiverse", this sci-fi martial arts movie slapped audiences in the face, essentially introducing audiences to the term. While being critically panned on its release, The One received a cult following, due to fans praising the seemingly simple action flick for diving into the complex concept of the multiverse, with a various degree of success. Nonetheless, this multiverse movie may feel cheesy by modern day standards, but many audiences still feel a sense of nostalgia which gives The One its cult following.
7 Coraline (2009)
Based on the novel of the same name, Coraline is praised for its vivid stop-motion animation and creepy visuals, which have terrified both kids and adults since its release. This spine-chilling stop-motion animation film has been nominated for numerous awards, including Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards, as well as winning Best Feature Film at the BAFTA Children's Awards. The creepy imagery, eerie production design and nightmarish character design cement Coraline as the scariest kids movie ever made, with many claiming the animated feature to actually be a horror movie.
6 Donnie Darko (2001)
Donnie Darko was initially a box office flop, due to the movie advertising a plane crash, and with the September 11 attacks happening not long before the film's release, many audiences were turned off by the movie. However, the movie was still praised by critics. Although the movie was well-loved by critics and fans, it wasn't until the director's cut was released that the film gained a cult following. Critics have praised the film for providing audiences with relatable characters, a great soundtrack, clever dialogue, and a thought-provoking plot. Donnie Darko is a relatable and interesting look at the struggles of puberty and high school, as well as exploring the struggles of coping with Schizophrenia.
5 Source Code (2011)
Yet another Jake Gyllenhaal-led movie set in multiple universes, Source Code is praised for its creative and ingenious script. Following a very similar story to what we see in movies like Groundhog Day and Happy Death Day, Source Code's unique and fresh take on the story is adored by critics. The legendary film critic Roger Ebert, gave the movie 3.5 out of 4 stars calling it "an ingenious thriller", with The Los Angeles Times praising the films "cleverly constructed" script.
4 Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Being Marvel Studios' first true attempt to show the vastness of the multiverse, the Doctor Strange sequel has been met with mixed reviews from both fans and critics. However, no one can deny that this is an incredibly fun and engaging multiverse movie with a heck of a lot of energy. Many critics and fans have praised the movie for embracing its comic book weirdness, and have been praising Sam Raimi's direction for creating the "the MCU's most off the wall entry yet". Much of the criticism from fans is due to their disappointment for the film not being as cameo-filled as they had hoped, and while that may be true, the cameos that are in the movie, still sent the fandom wild.
Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness Is just a taste of what Marvel Studios can achieve with the multiverse, and while this movie isn't as cameo-filled as fans may have hoped; the cameos, universes, and teases we see in the movie, just go to show the possibilities that Marvel Studios can achieve with the multiverse.
3 Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
As the most anticipated movie of 2021, Spider-Man No Way Home gave fans everything they wanted and more. Featuring not one, not two, but three Spider-Men, with Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire reprising their roles as the titular hero, No Way Home quickly went down as one of the biggest and most successful movies of all time. The film quickly became one of the highest grossing movies of all time, beating the likes of The Avengers, Jurassic World and The Deathly Hallows Part 2.
The highly successful Spider-Man epic is possibly the most groundbreaking super-hero film to date, with fans still trying to get over and comprehend the achievements that Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures garnered, not just for the film itself, but with each character getting their much-deserved character arcs, which left fans and audiences satisfied.
2 Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (2018)
Hailed by many as the best Spider-Man film of all time, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse shocked the world with its sleek and unique animation, laugh-out-loud comedy, and emotionally moving story. Tom Holland; our very own MCU Spider-Man has claimed the movie to be "one of the coolest films (he has) ever seen". James Gunn, the director of Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad (2021) has also stated that Into The Spider-Verse is his favorite superhero film.
The film has also garnered a plethora of awards, most notably winning Best Animated Feature Film at the 76th annual Golden Globe Awards, the 91st Academy Awards, and the 24th Critic's Choice Awards. Its sequel, Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse was due to release on October 7th, 2022, but was unfortunately delayed until June 2023. However, Across The Spider-Verse Part 2; Beyond The Spider-Verse is still set to release sometime in 2024.
1 Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)
Everything Everywhere All At Once, released to huge critical acclaim, with critics praising Michelle Yeoh's performance, and The Daniels' vision for the film. The film wasn't just a hit with critics, however; the wacky multiverse movie quickly became a fan-favorite movie, with the majority or fans and even some critics claiming the movie as one of the best and most creative films of all time. We can absolutely expect this movie to sweep this year's awards season, with the film possibly being nominated for Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, and Best Direction; with many fans hoping Michelle Yeoh gets a nod as Best Actress for her performance. Everything Everywhere All At Once is a multiverse movie, in which you have to see it, to believe it.