featuring @neonrated
Acclaimed filmmaker Ryusuke Hamaguchi, the director behind the Oscar-winning Drive My Car, is back with his latest feature, All of a Sudden. A new trailer has arrived for the France-Japan-Germany-Belgium production, which has been selected as Japan’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 2027 Academy Awards.
The film centres on Marie-Lou, played by Virginie Efira, who has recently taken charge of an elder-care facility near Paris. Determined to transform the way its residents are treated, she introduces the Humanitude approach, a philosophy built around empathy, attentive listening and preserving the dignity of those in care.
Her efforts, however, are met with resistance from both the facility’s staff and its board.
Marie-Lou’s life takes an unexpected turn when she encounters Mari, portrayed by Tao Okamoto, a Japanese theatre director from Kyoto who is living with terminal cancer. The two women develop a meaningful friendship as they connect over art, illness, ageing and the importance of compassionate care.
Mari’s creative work begins to influence Marie-Lou, while the progression of her illness gives their relationship an increasingly emotional dimension. The newly released trailer offers a glimpse at the intimate bond that develops between the two women and the profound effect they have on one another.
A New Oscar Contender From the Director of
Drive My Car
All of a Sudden marks Hamaguchi’s return to the Academy Awards race following the extraordinary success of Drive My Car. The 2021 drama became a four-time Oscar nominee and ultimately won Best International Feature Film in 2022.
The new film has already attracted significant attention on the festival circuit. It premiered in competition at Cannes, where Efira and Okamoto shared the Best Actress prize. The recognition was particularly notable for Okamoto, who became the first Japanese actress to receive the Cannes acting award.
Running for 196 minutes, All of a Sudden is loosely inspired by correspondence between philosopher Makiko Miyano and medical anthropologist Maho Isono. Hamaguchi co-wrote the screenplay with Léa Le Dimna.
The film is also scheduled to screen at the 64th New York Film Festival for its U.S. premiere, with NEON holding its North American distribution rights.
Following its Cannes success and Japan’s Oscar selection, All of a Sudden is shaping up as one of the international films to watch during the upcoming awards season.
All of a Sudden is scheduled to arrive in cinemas on November 25, 2026.
