perceiving familial conflict as simply stemming from the unit itself rather than the multitude of elements around it that actively contribute to it - is as reductive as storytelling in this nature can possibly be. and by chance with this film, having a “multiverse” to help contemplate on this idea only hurts that thesis even more, presenting artificially manufactured elements that one, as a storyteller, can manipulate to their own wishes in order to remedy the real-world conflict that’s presented….even…

it's as though the film actively wants to be a microcosm for immigrant families deep within the capitalistic setting of the United States, and while i find this admirable in its concept, the execution here leaves a lot to be desired and it becomes quite a mess in its intention.

quite a bit feels tactile in this particular depiction, providing a connection that i can identify with - yet there's also a good amount that's left up to artificial storytelling…