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Drifter

Play trailer Poster for Drifter 2026 2h 27m Drama Sports Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 4 Reviews Popcornmeter 0 Ratings
In a forgotten desert town, a solitary racetrack janitor with a gift for drifting is haunted by his tragic past. Given a single chance to compete at a pro drifting event, he discovers his raw talent is useless without the one thing he's always avoided: connection with others. Under a hardened mentor, he must learn to trust his found family and transform his untamed, lonely art into a dangerous dance of partnership, or be consumed and controlled by the past he's desperate to escape.

Critics Reviews

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Joonatan Itkonen Region Free 2 days ago
2/5
This is a beautifully shot, passionately made film with a lot to love. But it's also an unfinished, oddly disjointed mess with a narrative that stops and stutters like a car pumped with bad gas. Go to Full Review Andrew Webster The Verge Sep 13, 2026
Unfortunately, Drifter leans too heavily on the established formula of underdog sports stories, which makes most of its beats feel predictable, with the exception of its completely improbable ending. Go to Full Review George Bate Screen Rant Sep 13, 2026
7/10
The pacing of the film and stoicism of Kang’s performance renders Drifter a rather lengthy watch, although there is certainly something refreshing about a character study unafraid to soak in its atmosphere and take its time moving from beat to beat. Go to Full Review Giovanni Lago Next Best Picture Sep 13, 2026
3/10
We should appreciate that Kang tried to steer away from a more by-the-book racing drama, but even when pivoting into something more intimate, he makes every wrong turn into the worst aspects of his craft. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Cast & Crew

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Sung Kang

Director

Sung Kang

Actor

Tamara Braun

Actor

Michael Nehring

Actor

Grant Sullivan

Actor

McCaleb Burnett

Actor
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Drifter

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Movie Info

Synopsis In a forgotten desert town, a solitary racetrack janitor with a gift for drifting is haunted by his tragic past. Given a single chance to compete at a pro drifting event, he discovers his raw talent is useless without the one thing he's always avoided: connection with others. Under a hardened mentor, he must learn to trust his found family and transform his untamed, lonely art into a dangerous dance of partnership, or be consumed and controlled by the past he's desperate to escape.
Director
Sung Kang
Producer
Brian Yang, Sung Kang, Ted Chung
Screenwriter
Sung Kang, Aaron Strongoni, Ted Chung
Production Co
Raison D'Etre Stories
Genre
Drama, Sports
Original Language
English
Runtime
2h 27m
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