Directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi and co-written by Léa Le Dimna, All of a Sudden loosely adapts the non-fiction book You and I – The Illness Suddenly Get Worse by Makiko Miyano and Maho Isono. The drama centres on the unlikely friendship between Marie-Lou (Virginie Efrie), a French nursing home director, and Mari (Tao Okamoto), a Japanese playwright.
In Hamaguchi’s French-language debut, All of a Sudden‘s use of language is incredibly well handled. Although Mari and Marie-Lou are from different countries, both speak and understand French and Japanese. Such multilingual fluency is unusual, and Hamaguchi uses it to powerful effect: by speaking in their native languages, the women can express themselves openly, knowing they will be understood without fear of judgement.
As extended tracking shots follow the women through the streets of Paris, their conversations evoke Jesse and Céline’s encounters in Richard Linklater’s Before series. Discussing their respective experiences of living overseas, they establish an easy rapport that leaves audiences wondering whether their friendship might become something more. This is thanks to Efrie and Tao’s chemistry, as they navigate challenging conversations faultlessly, balancing the film’s heavier emotional notes to create an unlikely yet beautiful display of sisterhood.
However, the relationship between the two characters is more than that of two kindred spirits. Through Efrie and Tao’s moving performances, their rapport becomes a vehicle for exploring differences between Eastern and Western approaches to healthcare, as well as the personal experiences that shape them. As a nursing home director, Marie-Lou is committed to established protocols, including Humanitude, a care approach that emphasises patients’ dignity, autonomy and mobility. However, training staff on the approach places demands on already stretched resources, raising questions about whether its principles can always be applied effectively in practice. Although her commitment to these principles is rooted in personal experience, Marie-Lou’s insistence on their implementation makes her appear authoritative, even condescending. It is not until Mari gives her another perspective from her own issues of dealing with cancer that Marie-Lou understands that her stances on healthcare and patient care may not be as effective as initially thought.
The film broadens its examination of healthcare by incorporating the perspectives of patients, caregivers and medical staff, all of whom face difficult circumstances. Mari is dealing with stage 4 cancer that can see her collapse at any moment. Nursing home nurse Sophie’s criticisms of Humanitude highlight the widespread problem of burnout among medical staff, particularly in a post-COVID world, and raise questions about whether practitioners’ well-being is being compromised. Yet the screenplay treats everyone with compassion. Even Tomoki, a developmentally disabled young man, is delicately handled; rather than be stuck in a hospital, he wanders around without a chaperone. His situation also reflects the film’s broader questioning of institutional care: while patients need appropriate support, the desire to protect them can sometimes come at the expense of their autonomy.
Hamaguchi’s visuals are considerate yet they convey different sides to Mari and Marie-Lou’s friendship. Shots of Efrie and Tao looking directly into the camera invite audiences to look beyond their characters’ brave facades, while intimate shots capture their growing bond through natural conversation and comfortable physical contact. Despite their different backgrounds, the film gives both women the space to express themselves on their own terms, allowing their friendship to develop without imposing easy judgements on either of them.
Overall, All of a Sudden is a poignant drama that brings Eastern and Western perspectives together in unexpected ways. Efrie and Tao are mesmerising together, imbuing their characters’ growing friendship with a tenderness and emotional nuance that make their bond deeply affecting.
All of a Sudden is being shown as part of the BFI London Film Festival 2026.
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Director: Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Léa Le Dimna (co-screenwriter)
Stars: Virginie Efira, Tao Okamoto, Kyozo Nagatsuka, Kodai Kurosaki, Jean-Charles Clichet, Marie Bunel, Romain Cottard, Marie Denarnaud
Runtime: 196 minutes
Country: France, Japan
