Renowned Japanese filmmaker Ryusuke Hamaguchi is back with All of a Sudden, a drama about the different aspects of the human condition and experience including friendship, dignity, illness and the care that comes with it.
The movie is also known as Soudain, and follows two women, played by Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto, as they forge an unlikely friendship that makes them rethink responsibility and life.
A joint production by France, Japan, Germany, and Belgium, All of a Sudden made its debut at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. There, the lead actresses shared the award for best actress.
Distributed by NEON, the movie will be released in the US on November 25, 2026.
With a running time of 196 minutes, the movie once again shows Hamaguchi's penchant for lengthy films, following his Academy Award-nominated Drive My Car.
What is All of a Sudden About?
Set in the suburbs of Paris, the movie follows Marie-Lou Fontaine, the new director of an elderly care facility.
Marie-Lou wants to move away from an overly-institutional approach to caring for the residents, instead, wants to implement an individualized, person-centered approach for those residents who are suffering from loss of dignity due to conditions such as dementia.
Not everyone is on board with her changes and ideas.
Things start changing for Marie-Lou when she befriends Mari Morisaki, a Japanese theater director, who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Through the movie, the actresses, Efira and Okamoto, explore the many different aspects of dignity and living meaningfully in their friendship.
Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto Lead the Cast
Virginie Efira is cast as Marie-Lou. A determined administrator trying to modify the spirit of her workplace.
The character is written with professional commitment, but some personal uncertainty, as she encounters resistance to her proposed changes.
Tao Okamoto is cast as Mari. A theater director, with a strong personal history with severe illness, who provides support and guide Marie-Lou.
Recognition for both performaces was given at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.
The two actresses shared the Best Actress Prize.
The supporting cast is made up of Kyozo Nagatsuka, Kodai Kurosaki and Marie Bunel.
Instead of making an emphasis on the dramatic, Hamaguchi leans on the quieter moments, expressions and interactions of his performers.
People looking for the film via kisskh library must learn to spot advertising and unrelated content.
NEON will handle the U.S. Distribution.
The Style of Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Ryusuke Hamaguchi films revolve around relationships and are constructed with copious conversation.
Other films by the filmmaker include: Happy Hour, Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, Drive My Car, and Evil Does Not Exist.
Drive My Car was nominated for several other Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director.
There is a strong connection with his female characters. In All of a Sudden he touches on this with his female leads once again.
The film is his first feature length film primarily in French.
It's international production combines performers, locations, and creative contributors from different countries.
This multilingual approach supports a story focused on communication across cultural and personal barriers.
The screenplay was a collaboration between Hamaguchi and Lea Le Dimna.
It is loosely inspired by a book based on correspondence between Japanese philosopher Makiko Miyano and Japanese anthropologist Maho Isono.
Their letters discussed illness and the unexpected, the unknown and the uncontrollable in people's lives.
Rather than recreate the book's participants, Hamaguchi created characters dealing with similar questions philosophically.
The relationship between Marie-Lou and Mari serves as the emotional core of the story.
Marie-Lou helps Mari come to terms with her cancer. Mari, unable to control her cancer or what is going on around her, needs to figure out ways to support people and what she's going to do about it when things get unexpectedly difficult.
The movie shows what happens to people when institutions can't or don't balance the needs of the people who need their support the most.
The movie's themes are demonstrated through character interactions instead of through direct arguments or conclusions.
Cannes Recognition and International Reception
All of a Sudden premiered at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival in competition. It was awarded the Best Actress Prize (shared by its two lead actresses Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto.)
After its premiere, the film was shown at the New York Film Festival and selected to represent Japan for the best international feature film at the 2027 Oscars.
Not being chosen to represent Japan doesn't mean it won't be considered for a nomination, but rather gives the Japanese film committee the flexibility to choose the film they feel best reflects the spirit of Japanese filmmaking.
Because of its themes of caregiving and emotional intimacy, the film explores the responsibilities of social and economic institutions.
Because of its longer running time, Hamaguchi is able to develop his subjects by showing detailed conversations and gradual character development.
Search terminology such as "kisskh movie library" do not relate to the film's authorized theatrical distribution.
For legal showings, please contact the cinemas, festivals, and NEON, directly.
The film's American theatrical release will begin on November 25, 2026. Showtimes may vary and will be determined by each cinema's schedule.
The film will also be shown at the Film at Lincoln Center on November 18 and 19. There, audiences will have the opportunity to meet the film's director, Hirokazu Kore-eda.
The film is approximately three hours and sixteen minutes long and features both French and Japanese dialogue.
The film takes a closer look at profound themes without offering easy to understand answers.
Hamaguchi explores multiple themes with the use of Mari and Marie-Lou's friendship; including how compassion and artistic expression can break through established boundaries, and serve as an anchor for us to reflect on how we view and perceive reality.
For audiences who enjoy international films and are interested in character-driven cinema, All of a Sudden focuses on human connection and explores care and uncertainty in a profound and moving way.