Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Touching drama of unhoused refugee has violent flashbacks.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Drift
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In DRIFT, Jacqueline (Cynthia Erivo) is a Liberian refugee who's found herself on a Greek island without money or a place to stay. She survives by sleeping in a cave near the water, swiping sugar packets from a restaurant, and massaging tourists' feet (with stolen olive oil) for money. One day she encounters a tour group led by Callie (Alia Shawkat). Callie begins chatting with Jacqueline, and, after seeing each other again, the women start to become friends. Jacqueline even invites Callie out to dinner using a wad of stolen cash found in an encampment. Flashbacks reveal Jacqueline's brutal, true story, and when Callie shows her a moment of kindness, it all comes tumbling out.
Is It Any Good?
It feels a bit more like an outline than a fully fleshed-out drama, but in some ways the small, soft strokes of this drama—along with two nuanced performances—work their own kind of magic. Drift never shows us how Jacqueline arrived on the island or what brought Callie there. And the women's friendship happens rather quickly, without the conversations you might expect. But maybe that's OK. Maybe we don't really need to know all that big stuff, and maybe it's OK that the two women are just lonely and recognize something of themselves in each other.
Director Anthony Chen—working from a novel by Alexander Maksik, who co-wrote the screenplay—shows viewers plenty of details of everyday life in Greece in the movie's scant 93 minutes. We get an idea of the passing time, of the air and weather, and the rare, fleeting moments of joy. Rising above it all is Erivo, who finds endless depths of expression through both her eyes and her delicate voice, while rarely making an extraneous move. Shawkat shines alongside her, each generously sharing the space with the other. Drift is a small, slow movie, the equivalent of a deep breath, and it may leave some viewers wondering what more there is, but for others, it'll be enough.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Drift's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
Do you think the movie should have shown more about what happened to Jacqueline and how she got to Greece? Why, or why not?
Why do you think that Jacqueline avoids telling Callie about her situation?
How are cigarette and pot smoking depicted? Are they glamorized? Are there consequences? Why does that matter?
What's the significance of the red scarf? What might it symbolize?
Movie Details
- In theaters : February 2, 2024
- On DVD or streaming : February 9, 2024
- Cast : Cynthia Erivo , Alia Shawkat , Ibrahima Ba
- Director : Anthony Chen
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Bisexual Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s) , Middle Eastern/North African Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : Utopia Films
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Book Characters
- Run time : 93 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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