Drifting home

Plot

Kosuke Kumagaya and Natsume Tonai are 11-year-olds who grew up like siblings. The relationship between the two began to be strained after the death of Kosuke's grandfather, Yasuji Kumagaya.

One day during summer vacation, Kosuke and his classmates of Kamo Elementary School, named Taishi, Yuzuru, Reina, and Juri, sneak into Kamonomiya apartment complex, known by the kids as the "ghost housing complex", that has been slated for demolition. This housing complex happens to be a house full of memories where Kosuke and Natsume grew up, alongside grandfather Yasuji.

There, Kosuke unexpectedly encounters Natsume, who tells him and the others about the existence of a mysterious boy named Noppo living in the complex. Kosuke and Natsume start to argue, the group later chips in, then heavy rain ensues. After the rain stops, the housing complex is suddenly drifting in the middle of the ocean.

With no one in the building except them, the kids attempt to survive on their own, by exploring other nearby buildings also floating in the ocean, on the search for food. During their time together, tension in the group rises, as injuries and arguments happen.

After their building crashes into another, a hole is made at the bottom, and water starts to flow inside. The group must leave the building and go out in the ocean. Using objects they find in the apartment, they build a raft.

Everyone boards the raft except Noppo, who pushes the boat away from the apartment where he decides to stay, to the group's surprise. Natsume refuses to leave him behind, and swims back to the building. Kosuke follows her into the water, but fails to catch up to her and the building.

The group is separated: Noppo and Natsume are on the roof of the apartment complex, whereas the rest are in the raft. Later, the raft is approached by a floating Ferris wheel. The kids use this huge wheel to reel in the building Noppo and Natsume are on, with the help of a mysterious women who appears from this Ferris wheel.

Characters

Kosuke Kumagaya (熊谷 航祐, Kumagaya Kōsuke)

One of the two protagonists. Eleven-year-old boy, whose grandfather passed away.

Natsume Tonai (兎内 夏芽, Tonai Natsume)

The other of the two protagonists. Eleven-year-old girl, who used to live with Kosuke and his grandfather at the Kamonomiya apartment complex.

Noppo (のっぽ)

Mysterious boy who lives at the apartment complex.

Taishi Koiwai (小祝 太志, Koiwai Taishi)

Kosuke and Natsume's classmate at Kamo Elementary School. He is a member of the football club.

Yuzuru Tachibana (橘 譲, Tachibana Yuzuru)

Another classmate. He is also a member of the football club.

Reina Haba (羽馬 令依菜, Haba Reina)

Another classmate, who has an interest in Kosuke all throughout the story.

Juri Ando (安藤 珠理, Andō Juri)

Another classmate. She is Reina's best friend.

Satoko Tonai (兎内 里子, Tonai Satoko)

Natsume's mother, who did not have a stable relationship with Natsume's father.

Yasuji Kumagaya (熊谷 安次, Kumagaya Yasuji)

Kosuke's grandfather, who lived at the Kamonomiya apartment complex, with Kosuke and Natsume. The film begins after his death.

Production and release

The film was first announced by Netflix in September 2021. It was announced to be produced by Studio Colorido and directed by Hiroyasu Ishida, with scripts by Ishida, as well as Hayashi Mori and Minaka Sakamoto. Akihiro Nagae designed the characters and Umitarō Abe composed the music. Zutomayo performed the film's theme song, "Blush" (消えてしまいそうです, Kiete Shimaisō Desu; lit. 'It Seems It'll Accidentally Disappear'), as well as the insert song "Summer Slack" (夏枯れ, Natsugare; lit. 'Summer Slump'). The film was released on September 16, 2022, on Netflix and in Japanese theaters.

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 69% of 16 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.9/10.

Simon Abrams of RogerEbert.com gave the film an unfavorable review, writing that what it achieves through a "straight-forward disaster movie" focus and "great, lived-in details" in its production design, it ultimately undermines with a "stunted" narrative design, "stillborn conversations," and an inability to fully realize its emotional "untapped potential." Maya Phillips of The New York Times gave it a negative review, noting that while it delivers a "great visual concept" with its ghostly drifting structures, it ultimately "feels utterly lost at sea" due to a lack of coherent fantastical logic, lagging pacing, and an unattended narrative that fails to flesh out its central emotional battleground.

Writing for MovieWeb, Ashley Hajimirsadeghi offered a mixed-to-positive review, calling the film "heartwarming" and visually impressive but uneven in its pacing and "stiff" in its English dub. Kenneth Seward Jr. of IGN gave it a more favorable review, writing, "besides a few mishaps story wise, Drifting Home proves to be a good film" that serves as an "inventive story that happens to be relatable on multiple levels" through its exploration of grief and excellent 2D animation. Kambole Campbell of Polygon also gave the film a positive review, praising its animation, emotional depth, and "sensitive" character work despite "occasional repetitive tensions."

On Decider, Brittany Vincent gave the film a "Skip It" recommendation, criticizing its "drab" atmosphere, predictable twists, and a "snail's pace" that stretches out the coming-of-age narrative, though she found that the voice cast does a "great job" trying to establish relationships between characters that never quite feel worth backing. Ali Griffiths of Digital Spy reported that it was a "surprisingly thoughtful adventure" with a "nostalgic tone," praising its "deceptively simple animation style" and its clever exploration of coming-of-age themes, though he noted that a confusing final act left its central mystery "frustratingly vague."

Sam Haysom of Mashable gave it a mixed-to-positive review, praising it as a "strange fantasy journey" that is "memorably beautiful" due to its stunning cinematography and poignant moments about emotional survival, though he noted that the story "feels a little drawn-out at times" and some characters remain less developed than others.

In Japanese theaters

The film was released simultaneously on Netflix and in Japanese theaters. The lack of articles addressing successful box office figures may mean that there was larger success on Netflix than in in-person theaters, potentially due to the same release date and higher accessibility of the online platform.