Cannes video calls film a 'masterpiece'

A YouTube video posted during the Cannes Film Festival this week pushed Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “All of a Sudden” beyond routine review and into open advocacy. The upload, titled “Why All of a Sudden is a Masterpiece | Cannes 2026,” appeared on May 23 and described itself as a Cannes review of Hamaguchi’s film. (youtube.com) Festival de Cannes lists the film under its French title, “Soudain (All of a Sudden),” as part of the 2026 Competition lineup. (festival-cannes.com) The official festival page says the story follows Marie-Lou, a director of an elderly care facility, whose encounter with a Japanese theater director battling cancer reshapes her life. (festival-cannes.com) The clip matters less as an official Cannes statement than as evidence of how quickly festival commentary is hardening around one title. Cannes itself added a making-of article on May 24, extending attention around the film after its premiere and photocall earlier in the festival. (youtube.com) ### Which film is the video talking about? “Why All of a Sudden is a Masterpiece | Cannes 2026” refers to Hamaguchi’s new feature “Soudain (All of a Sudden).” The festival’s official page identifies Hamaguchi as director and says the film is a France-Japan-Germany-Belgium co-production. (festival-cannes.com) IMDb and Cannes materials identify Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto among the principal cast. Cannes says the film centers on Marie-Lou and Mari, while IMDb’s synopsis describes an exchange about chance, risk and mortality. ### Why did this become part of Cannes chatter so quickly? May 23 and May 24 saw multiple Cannes-related discussion and promotional items circulate around the festival, including the YouTube review and Cannes’ own making-of feature. (festival-cannes.com) The timing places the video inside the immediate post-premiere window when critics, festival attendees and distributors are still shaping the early conversation. (festival-cannes.com) RogerEbert.com’s Cannes coverage described a key late-film scene as “as riveting a scene as Cannes has offered so far,” while also identifying the film as Hamaguchi’s return to competition after “Drive My Car.” That kind of early critical emphasis helps explain why a YouTube creator framed the movie in stronger terms than a standard review. (festival-cannes.com) ### What do official Cannes materials say the film is about? Festival de Cannes says the film is about a care-home director trying to introduce a philosophy of listening and dignity, despite resistance from some staff members. The same page says her meeting with Mari, a Japanese theater director with cancer, changes her path. (youtube.com) Cannes’ making-of article says the film is a loose adaptation of a documentary book co-written by Maoko Miyano and Maho Isono. That article also describes the two central women as one French and one Japanese, linking the film’s story to questions of illness, care and communication. (rogerebert.com) ### What is known about the film’s Cannes status and release schedule? The 2026 Cannes lineup announcement lists “Soudain (All of a Sudden)” in Competition. A festival photocall entry published on May 16 shows the film had already moved into the public-facing phase of its Cannes run. (festival-cannes.com) Wikipedia’s film entry, which matches details carried across festival coverage, says the movie had its world premiere in the main competition on May 15. The same entry lists Japanese theatrical release on June 19 through Bitters End and French release on August 12 through Diaphana Distribution. (festival-cannes.com) ### What comes next after this burst of Cannes coverage? June 19 is the next concrete date attached to “All of a Sudden,” with IMDb and other festival-linked listings pointing to its Japanese release. France is scheduled to follow on August 12 through Diaphana Distribution, according to the release information attached to the film’s festival and database pages. (festival-cannes.com) (en.wikipedia.org)