---
title: "All of a Sudden"
year: 2026
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/all-of-a-sudden"
fi1m_id: "all-of-a-sudden"
imdb_id: "tt36834996"
tmdb_id: 1476614
wikidata_id: "Q137946980"
fi1m_score: 78
critics_score: 78
critics_reviews: 15
published: "2026-10-25"
updated: "2026-10-25T10:20:18.661214+00:00"
region: "AE"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# All of a Sudden (2026)

Directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi · 3h 16m · Drama

## Identity

All of a Sudden

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/all-of-a-sudden
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** all-of-a-sudden
- **IMDb ID:** tt36834996
- **TMDB ID:** 1476614
- **Wikidata ID:** Q137946980
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt36834996/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1476614, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q137946980

**Fi1m score: 78** · Critics 78 from 15 reviews

*In a sentence:* People listening properly to one another for three hours is a rather pointed way to spend an evening

> Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s drama makes good company of Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto, and gives care the attention it deserves. The conversations reward patience, though the more instructive stretches could use firmer editing.

## Synopsis

Marie-Lou Fontaine (Virginie Efira) and Mari Morisaki (Tao Okamoto) develop a friendship through conversations about care, dignity and the help people need from one another. Their story also includes Goro Kiyomiya (Kyōzō Nagatsuka), alongside encounters between caregivers and patients. As the women’s relationship grows, their exchanges raise questions about dependence, difference and how people might live together. The responsibilities of looking after others give these discussions practical consequences, while problems in health care connect individual needs to wider concerns about how care is provided and whose needs receive attention.

## Review

*All of a Sudden* is worth a long evening for anyone who enjoys a drama that takes its time over conversation. Ryusuke Hamaguchi follows the friendship between Marie-Lou Fontaine and Mari Morisaki into questions about how people look after one another. At 196 minutes, the film gives those questions considerable attention. Much of that time is rewarding, although some conversations continue after their point is clear.

Virginie Efira plays Marie-Lou Fontaine, with Tao Okamoto as Mari Morisaki, and their companionship is the most persuasive reason to stay. There is a warmth between them that makes the philosophical discussion feel connected to actual people. Tao Okamoto’s delicacy is particularly valuable in a film so ready to spell out its beliefs. The friendship needs room to develop, and these performances give the leisurely pace a purpose.

The attention to caregivers and patients gives those beliefs something practical to address. Dignity can become a comfortable word in a script; the business of caring for somebody gives it consequences. We find that emphasis moving, particularly the insistence that tenderness belongs among everyday necessities. The quieter encounters make the case more convincingly than the explanatory passages, because the people receiving care matter as much as the people giving it.

Alan Guichaoua handles the cinematography, Mila Preli the production design and Samuel Andreyev the music. The visual and sound work has drawn praise for its sensitivity, an appropriate quality in a film this interested in listening. A drama of long conversations needs to make time spent together feel worthwhile. The natural companionship between the leads is the clearest reason this one does.

Azusa Yamazaki’s editing is central to that question of attention. A brisker version would risk reducing the friendship to a succession of useful points, and the film deserves credit for allowing it to develop. Still, its length gives the more prescriptive conversations time to become tiresome. We would have preferred a little less explanation once the actors have already made the humane point clear.

Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Léa Le Dimna’s screenplay is strongest when it trusts the friendship to carry its ideas. Its optimism is welcome, and the attention to caregiving gives it more substance than a general request for everyone to be nicer. But the tendency to prescribe better ways of living can make the conversations feel too carefully directed towards agreement. The occasional sweetness is easier to forgive than the feeling that an answer has been approved before the discussion begins.

For a drama built around conversation, the test is whether we want to remain in the company of the people speaking. These two leads make a persuasive case, including through stretches that could be shortened. We recommend it for its patient performances and its willingness to treat care as something worthy of sustained attention. Allow a whole evening, and perhaps agree beforehand who gets to stop the discussion afterwards.

*Fi1m score 78, published 25 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics respond warmly to All of a Sudden, praising its hopeful treatment of care, friendship and human connection. Praise centres on Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto, whose rapport gives the long conversations emotional weight. The reviews also credit Hamaguchi’s patient direction and attentive dialogue with making caregiving compelling drama. For its strongest supporters, the optimism feels earned through the tenderness of the performances.

The spread is wide, however, with the leisurely pace and three-hour runtime dividing opinion. The AV Club finds the length justified, while Deadline argues that excessive length and lecture-like passages weaken the emotional impact. The Guardian admires the quieter exchanges between caregivers and patients but finds the film overly precious and self-conscious. Even favourable reviews acknowledge moments of sentimentality or overly prescriptive thinking; the main disagreement is over how much these intrude on the relationships.

## Straight answers

**Is All of a Sudden worth watching?**

*All of a Sudden* is worth watching if we enjoy patient, conversation-led drama, and we score it 78 out of 100. Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto make its friendship warm and persuasive, while the attention to caregiving is moving. At 196 minutes, it asks for a whole evening, and some discussions keep explaining what the performances have already made clear.

**How long is All of a Sudden, and what is it rated?**

*All of a Sudden* runs 3h 16m. It is a drama film.

**Where can I watch All of a Sudden in the UAE?**

*All of a Sudden* is not on any streaming or rental service in the UAE at the moment. Availability is checked daily.

**How violent or frightening is All of a Sudden, and is it suitable for children?**

*All of a Sudden* has a US rating advising parental caution for children under 13, but no UK certificate is provided. That rating alone does not establish how violent or frightening it is. Its 196-minute running time and extended conversations about care and dignity make it better suited to patient teenagers and adults than younger children.

**How does All of a Sudden compare to The Farewell?**

*All of a Sudden* offers a more prolonged, conversational treatment of care than [*The Farewell*](https://film.one/film/the-farewell), whose family disagreements centre on honesty and deception. We favour *The Farewell* for humour and painful family tensions, and *All of a Sudden* for the gradual development of a friendship. Both benefit from persuasive performances, though both can explain their ideas too neatly.

**What should I watch after All of a Sudden?**

After *All of a Sudden*, try [*The Farewell*](https://film.one/film/the-farewell) (2019, Fi1m 84): Care becomes complicated when a family cannot agree what honesty requires. Then [*Amour*](https://film.one/film/amour) (2012, Fi1m 88): For a harsher examination of illness, devotion and the daily work of care; and [*Secrets & Lies*](https://film.one/film/secrets-and-lies) (1996, Fi1m 88): Patient performances make difficult conversations matter long before anyone raises their voice.

### Reviews we read (15)

- **The AV Club**, Luke Hicks (95/100, inferred): The critic calls the film transcendent and says it earns its three-hour runtime. They single out Hamaguchi’s insightful screenplay and delicate direction, especially the film’s careful visual and sound design. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/all-of-a-sudden-review)
- **Variety**, Jessica Kiang (95/100, inferred): Kiang gives the film an ecstatic review, praising its generous, life-affirming story about care and connection. She singles out the long conversations and the leads’ performances for creating an unusually intimate, transformative experience. [Read](https://variety.com/2026/film/reviews/all-of-a-sudden-review-ryusuke-hamaguchi-1236748900/)
- **Little White Lies**, David Jenkins (90/100, inferred): Jenkins finds the film overwhelmingly affirmative and philosophically rich. He especially praises its performances and the way its careful dialogue makes caregiving a means of human connection. [Read](https://www.lwlies.com/cannes-film-festival/all-of-a-sudden-first-look-review)
- **Sight and Sound**, BFI (90/100, inferred): The critic is strongly positive, finding the film’s patient portrait of friendship quietly transformative. They single out Hamaguchi’s attentive direction and the way dialogue and care foster connection. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/all-sudden-hamaguchi-questions-philosophies-care-radically-tender-enriching-drama)
- **Slant Magazine**, Keith Uhlich (3.5/4): Uhlich finds the film scattershot and occasionally treacly, but says its earned optimism feels like a balm. He especially praises the natural emotional and physical kinship between Virginie Efira and Okamoto Tao. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/all-of-a-sudden-review-hamaguchi-ryusuke/)
- **IndieWire**, David Ehrlich (B+): Ehrlich finds the film a light, lovely, and increasingly hopeful argument for a more humane future, despite its overly prescriptive ideas. He praises its care-centered perspective and Tao Okamoto’s delicate, ethereal performance. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/all-of-a-sudden-movie-review-ryusuke-hamaguchi-1235193798/)
- **Time Out**, Jo-Ann Titmarsh (4/5): The review presents the film as philosophical yet joyous, and says it restores faith in humanity. The headline singles out its humanistic optimism for praise. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/all-of-a-sudden-review-2026)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, David Rooney (78/100, inferred): Rooney finds the film a deeply affecting work of humanism, though its leisurely pace and long runtime may test viewers. He praises its luminous moments of human connection and its compassionate attention to dignity and care. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/all-of-a-sudden-review-ryusuke-hamaguchi-virginie-efira-1236593171/)
- **Screen Daily**, Tim Grierson (70/100, inferred): The headline presents the film as a rich, engaging drama. It singles out the magnetic connection between Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/all-of-a-sudden-review-virginie-efira-and-tao-okamoto-form-a-magnetic-connection-in-ryusuke-hamaguchis-rich-paris-drama/5216769.article)
- **Film Comment**, Dennis Lim (65/100, inferred): The Cannes dispatch appears to review Hamaguchi’s *All of a Sudden*, but the available text does not reveal the critic’s verdict. It also does not show what the critic singles out for praise or complaint. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/article/cannes-2026-from-time-to-time-all-of-a-sudden-la-libertad-doble-review/)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (45/100, inferred): Bradshaw finds the film tender and beautiful but overly precious and self-conscious, with its quieter scenes of care working best. He singles out the observant, compassionate moments between caregivers and patients as its strongest passages. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/may/15/all-of-a-sudden-review-care-home-ryusuke-hamaguchi-cannes)
- **The Playlist**, Carlos Aguilar (A): The critic calls the film a transcendent, life-affirming achievement whose emotional impact feels earned. They single out Tao Okamoto and Virginie Efira’s sublime performances and the tenderness of their characters’ evolving friendship. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/all-of-a-sudden-review-ryusuke-hamaguchi-cannes-20260515/)
- **The Wrap** (75/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a rich, humane experience for viewers willing to settle into its leisurely pace. They single out its wandering conversations and Hamaguchi’s quietly resonant treatment of hope and difference. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/all-of-a-sudden-review-ryusuke-hamaguchi-cannes/)
- **Eye for Film**, Edin Custo (70/100, inferred): Custo finds the film an affecting, thoughtful argument for treating care and tenderness as ordinary necessities. They praise its intimate conversations while noting that its rituals can edge toward the absurd or cultish. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/all-of-a-sudden-2026-film-review-by-edin-custo)
- **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (40/100, inferred): Hammond finds the film humane and worthwhile in its aims, but says its excessive length and lecture-like stretches dilute its impact. He praises the compassionate relationship between the two leads and the film’s attention to failing health care. [Read](https://deadline.com/2026/05/all-of-a-sudden-review-oscar-ryusuke-hamaguchi-cannes-fest-1236905688/)

## Details

- **Director:** Ryusuke Hamaguchi
- **Director:** Ryusuke Hamaguchi
- **Screenplay:** Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Léa Le Dimna
- **Cinematography:** Alan Guichaoua
- **Editor:** Azusa Yamazaki
- **Music:** Samuel Andreyev
- **Production design:** Mila Preli
- **Costume design:** Caroline Spieth
- **Producer:** David Gauquié, Julien Deris, Kosuke Oshida
- **Cast:** Virginie Efira as Marie-Lou Fontaine; Tao Okamoto as Mari Morisaki; Kyōzō Nagatsuka as Goro Kiyomiya; Kodai Kurosaki as Tomoki Kubodera; Jean-Charles Clichet as Olivier; Marie Bunel as Sophie; Romain Cottard as Damien; Marie Denarnaud as Laurence
- **Runtime:** 3h 16m
- **First release (France):** 15 May 2026
- **Genres:** Drama
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AxtdPvDojA

## Where to watch in the UAE

Not streaming, renting or buying in the UAE at the last check.

## If you liked this

- *Still Walking* (2008): Family conversation gradually exposes old grievances and the limits of affection.
- *The Farewell* (2019), Fi1m 84: Care becomes complicated when a family cannot agree what honesty requires. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-farewell.md)
- *Amour* (2012), Fi1m 88: For a harsher examination of illness, devotion and the daily work of care. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/amour.md)
- *Secrets & Lies* (1996), Fi1m 88: Patient performances make difficult conversations matter long before anyone raises their voice. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/secrets-and-lies.md)
- *Ikiru* (1952), Fi1m 92: Illness prompts a public servant to reconsider what useful work might mean. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ikiru.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/all-of-a-sudden