When a Paris nursing home owner crosses paths with a Japanese theatre director battling cancer, they form a profound and unexpected friendship that quietly transforms their lives – winner of the Best Actress prize at Cannes for the film’s leads, Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto.
All of a Sudden, the Japanese director’s gorgeous new feature, is the rarest type of film, not merely good enough to remind you what cinema can be, but great enough to remind you what life can be.
All of a Sudden 2026
Soudain, Kyū ni guai ga waruku naru
Sometimes, a remarkable person comes into your life and unexpectedly, irrevocably changes your perspective on the world. The same could be said of All of a Sudden, a moving drama about the bond that develops between two women who quickly realise they have a spiritual connection.
In Paris, Marie-Lou (Virginie Efira) is the director of a private care facility for the elderly, determined to sell her employees on the principles of Humanitude, a care method which emphasises treating residents with dignity, despite the severe cognitive disorders affecting them. But she faces pushback from both the administration, and her diligent but overworked staff.
Frustrated and burned out, Marie-Lou then runs into Mari (Tao Okamoto), a Japanese experimental theatre director who invites Marie-Lou to see her play. To Marie-Lou’s astonishment, the provocative work speaks directly to her wish to make the impossible possible, inspiring her to talk to Mari after the show, their evening extending until the early morning as they get to know one another.
Japanese director Ryusuke Hamaguchi crafts a platonic love story filled with riveting conversation, all in service of examining the eternal desire to find purpose in an often senseless society.
– Tim Grierson, Screen Daily