Ryusuke Hamaguchi's All of a Sudden Nominated for Oscar

All of a Sudden, directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, has officially been chosen as Japan’s entry for the Best International Feature Film Oscar at the 2027 Academy Awards. The France-Japan-Germany-Belgium co-production, running 196 minutes, is a quiet, meditative study in human connection, pain, and the ethics of care.

Based on the book You and I – The Illness Suddenly Get Worse by Makiko Miyano and Maho Isono, the film was co-written by Hamaguchi and Léa Le Dimna. It stars Virginie Efira as Marie-Lou Fontaine, head of a Parisian caregiving facility, and Tao Okamoto as Mari Morisaki, a terminally ill Japanese theatre director. Their relationship unfolds across parallel timelines in Paris and Kyoto, anchored by long takes, intimate dialogue, and the recurring presence of a play within the film — Mari’s Up Close, No One is Normal.

The film’s emotional core lies in its exploration of loneliness, mortality, and the fragile bonds between caregiver and patient. It draws parallels to Hamaguchi’s earlier work, particularly Drive My Car, where art becomes a vessel for healing. Here, the narrative pushes further into systemic critique: the film highlights the need for Humanitude, a humane care model that Marie-Lou advocates for in her facility.