by Alex Billington
May 15, 2026
Is anyone truly normal? Aren’t we all flawed? How do we evolve humanity knowing this truth? Can a bit of compassion save us? These are a few of the philosophical questions introduced in this phenomenal film. Walking out of my afternoon screening of this sublime film at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, I couldn’t stop talking about it. Shaking with energy and excitement, I just blurted out sentence after sentence, word after word, about why it’s so utterly masterful and beautiful and soulful and enchanting. Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s new film All of a Sudden is a bona fide Masterpiece. Filmed mostly in Paris, it’s Hamaguchi stepping out of his usual Japanese setting to tell his most masterful story yet – a profound look at humanity and how we must grow & how art can help us evolve. It’s one of the most deeply soulful, philosophically mesmerizing, profoundly humanistic, exceptionally heartfelt films I have EVER seen. It’s not only one of my favorite films of the year, it’s instantly one of my personal favorites films of all-time. Hyperbolic as it may be to say that just after emerging from a screening, the film itself reminded me to always trust my heart, to express myself fully and clearly, and to be honest if I encounter any kind of art that is truly this moving and this impactful.
All of a Sudden, also known as simply Soudain (or just Suddenly) in French, is directed by master Japanese filmmaker Ryûsuke Hamaguchi as his latest after Evil Does Not Exist. It’s co-written by Hamaguchi and Léa Le Dimna, loosely based on the book You and I – The Illness Suddenly Get Worse by Makiko Miyano and Maho Isono. Similar to the book, the story is about a relationship between two people who meet in Paris and their serendipitous connetion changes everything. Virginie Efira plays Marie-Lou, a devoted & hard-working manager of an elderly care facility called The Garden of Freedom. She’s trying to implement a set of ideas into the care system called “Humanitude” –which is basically about very meaningfully humanizing the people living there even though it takes a bit of extra time because it recognizes them as individuals and not just patients to be looked after through basic nursing routines. One day she meets Mari, played by Tao Okamoto, a Japanese theater director putting on a show in Paris, who happens to have cancer that might come back at any time and “suddenly” (hence the title) get really bad. The two meet and spend their time discussing life & death, philosophical ideas about work, and a remarkable scene breaking down problems with capitalism and how its destroying society. I could watch & listen them talk for days and never be bored.
While the characters and the story presented in All of a Sudden is one about elderly care and the internal operations of a hospice care facility in Paris, the film is actually about much more than just that. It is indeed about dying and how we can better approach taking care of people approaching death. But it’s also about so much more than that. In fact, the real deep down core of the film is that it’s about humanity itself. It’s about what is broken with capitalism, what is broken in modern society, why humanity is no longer functioning correctly, and how we can evolve above & beyond our current limitations. It approaches this through the philosophical examination of this hospice and the microcosm of its struggles and problems, from budget to staff to safety risks. This acts as a metaphor for a much more grander look at life. Ultimately when you peel back the layers, when you peel back the conversations, it’s about how grand and beautiful and magic life is. And how, instead of preparing for death, we should make sure they live the most grand and beautiful and magical lives they can up until the end. That is not only deeply moving and profoundly humble, but it’s also life-affirming, eye-opening cinematic storytelling. It’s a shining example of a deeply humbling film that will make you see humanity differently once it’s over. It might even make some people change the way they live.
The most amazing thing is how he literally shows that change and evolution involves risk and danger. Some people will fall down and hurt themselves but that is a necessary part of change and that is exactly what it takes. It’s an exhilarating and emotional example of what is required for progress. Few have dared showed this concept so beautifully, with tenderness & concern, in such a clear cinematic way before. I’m emotionally shaken by how extraordinary the film is in its multiple messages, in its storytelling delicacy, in its love for all people of all kinds. I cried the whole film not because of being sad but because Hamaguchi presents –with such grace, such humility, such beauty – a real genuine artistic look at what’s possible. Yes, dear viewers, the film is about humanity today and how bad things are. Unlike so many other films that try and fail to address this, it actually tenderly and wonderfully shows us how art CAN save the world and make a real difference. That hit me so deeply I couldn’t stop the water works. There’s real hope in here. And it’s not the film itself that will change the world, it’s the way he depicts what is necessary, showing us through theater and artistry and through compassion, what it takes. Art is not the mechanism of change, art is the catalyst for change, but it is truly compassion & connection with everyone’s personal soul that will push us to grow as humanity.
Hamaguchi’s All of a Sudden is a full 3 hours & 20 minutes but he makes every last minute worthwhile. He lets the conversations flow naturally, he lets each scene take big, deep breaths. Visually the film is gorgeous – his DP Alan Guichaoua makes every shot look so vivid and lush and full of life. From sunset colors to the lights of the city. But most importantly, above all else – I love every single person in this film with all my heart. Every single character made me so happy. All of them (even Sophie). But especially the old Japanese actor Goro. He’s the best. Played by the legendary Kyōzō Nagatsuka, his warmth and the way he presents himself is unforgettable. Tao Okamoto & Virginie Efira are phenomenal. Efira learned Japanese and speaks fluently in complex conversations throughout which left me picking my jaw on the floor all the time. Every last shot is perfect, every last moment is so heartfelt, there are layers upon layers of meaning in every scene, characters grow and learn and evolve. Cinema at its most compassionate and most welcoming, cinema that can seriously change the world. These people, the ones we get to meet, they are real individuals. Their souls on display on screen, bearing all, reminding us through this story that this is what we all live for – to be free, to connect, to live and be loved. In doing so we can try to make the world better and inspire humanity to care more. And even if we fall down, others will help pick us up. This is real hope we can really believe in.
Alex’s Cannes 2026 Rating: 10 out of 10
Follow Alex on Twitter – @firstshowing / Or Letterboxd – @firstshowing
