First comes Fjord, then comes All of a Sudden. On Wednesday, Neon announced the official U.S. release date for its second Cannes-winning Oscar contender following Cristian Mungiu’s Palme d’Or-winning drama, which opens stateside on Oct. 9. Directed by acclaimed Japanese auteur Ryusuke Hamaguchi, All of a Sudden will debut in American theaters on Nov. 25, which positions its two stars, Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto — who shared the Best Actress prize at the 2026 festival — as serious Oscar contenders.
Hamaguchi is a previous Oscar nominee himself, having received Best Director and Best Picture nominations for his 2021 feature, Drive My Car. All of a Sudden is his first film set outside of Japan, and it received some of the strongest critical and audience buzz to emerge from this year’s Cannes.
A trailer will likely drop in the next few weeks. In the meantime, here’s everything you need to know about All of a Sudden.
The story
Here’s the official logline for All of a Sudden: “Set in France and Japan, All of a Sudden follows Marie-Lou (Efira), the director of a care facility for the elderly, who is determined to introduce an innovative philosophy of care rooted in listening and respect for residents’ dignity, despite resistance from members of her staff. Her path is profoundly reshaped by an encounter with Mari (Okamoto), a Japanese theater director battling cancer. As the two women form a deep friendship, they join forces in a shared struggle to make the impossible possible.”
The cast and creative team
In addition to Efira and Okamoto, the ensemble includes Kyōzō Nagatsuka, Kodai Kurosaki, Jean-Charles Clichet, and Marie Bunel. Behind the camera, Hamaguchi co-wrote the screenplay with Léa Le Dimna, based on the book When Life Suddenly Takes a Turn: Twenty Letters Between a Philosopher with Terminal Cancer and a Medical Anthropologist, by Makiko Miyano and Maho Isono. The producing team includes David Gauquié, Julien Deris, Jean-Luc Ormières, and Renan Artukmaç for France’s Cinefrance Studios; Hiroko Matsuda, Kosuke Oshida and Yuji Sadai for Japan’s Office Shirous and Bitters End; Bettina Brokemper for Germany’s Heimatfilm; and Joseph Rouschop for Belgium’s Tarantula.
The awards prospects
Drive My Car made history as the first Japanese-language film to score a Best Picture nomination, and Hamaguchi is only the third Japanese filmmaker to receive a Best Director nomination. Given the Academy’s increased international voting body, he could be back in contention this year. Efira and Okamoto are also serious contenders for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively; Gold Derby oddsmakers currently have Efira ranked at No. 8 on the Best Actress leaderboard, and Okamoto ranks at No. 7 among Best Supporting Actress candidates.
Best Actress
1.
Winner
2.
Rose Byrne
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
3.
Renate Reinsve
Sentimental Value
4.
5.
Kate Hudson
Song Sung Blue
Best Supporting Actress
1.
Winner
2.
3.
Teyana Taylor
One Battle After Another
4.
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas
Sentimental Value
5.
Elle Fanning
Sentimental Value
The release date
All of a Sudden will open in the U.S. on Nov. 25.
