The House of the Lost on the Cape (2021) (2024)

Popular reviews

• Review by Nick ★★★★ 3

  A film that’s ultimately a bit too ambitious for it’s own good, but also sets itself apart from similar films.

  What starts as an unassuming “slice of life” type story quickly morphs into something more fantastical. You’ve got your fair share of spiritual beings and Japanese folklore and it can be a bit overwhelming at times with how fast and how casually it throws it all at you. This film clearly has a lot to say about grief, loss, guilt, acceptance, what makes a family, and traditional Japanese values. It’s very admirable and sincere-feeling, but it can feel a bit messy at times trying to fit all of that in it’s 100-or-so minute runtime. I honestly feel like the titular…

• Review by Vivian ★★½ 1

  so when this old lady takes two random children into an abandoned house its "beautiful" and "heartwarming" but when i do it its "illegal" and i have to "go to prison"

• Review by Ben Byers ★★ 1

  It’s as if two perfectly good movies got half-hazardously stitched together. You’ve got a soulful, slow-paced, character driven, low stakes drama crossed with a weird, fantastical, action/mystery flick and the end result is… a confused, boring mess. There are aspects of this movie that I like, and although though the animation isn’t amazing, it’s still pretty to look at it. I just wish the film chose a narrative to focus on, instead of being a weird mishmash of half-baked ideas.

• Review by James Tait ★★★½

  This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

  1st half of the film:
  A runaway teenager becomes a "family" with a mute girl and an old lady in the aftermath of a tsunami. At first, there is a struggle between the three. But soon enough they learn to respect and love each other.

  2nd half of the film:
  HOLY FUCK WHERE DID ALL THESE MONSTERS AND SPIRITS COME FROM?! WAIT NOW WE GOT TO GO FIGHT THIS MASSIVE SNAKE WITH A FLUTE OR SOME SHIT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!!!!

  good film, I really enjoyed it.

• Review by Fall ★★

  story nya boring abiez, tapi klo mau sekedar menikmati keindahan yang ada di film anime ini worth it banget

• Review by heloise_vbt ★★★

  Le film il est quoicoucrazy

• Review by Rolf ★★★½

  An orphan and a runaway who became victims of the 2011 Tsunami form a new family with an old lady who invites them in a mysterious house...
  A small but ambitious movie which puts the Fukushima disaster in a Ghibliesque scenario using supernatural elements as metaphors for the grief of the surviving victims. It's still mostly and rightfully relying on character interaction observing how this surrogate family slowly grows together.
  The animation is beautiful, taking advantage of the rural setting while the characters are well-written with some nice visual ideas on display when it comes to the supernatural elements.
  Overall this does the best one can do with a story like this: giving hope and resorting to optimism which ultimately makes THE HOUSE OF THE LOST ON THE CAPE a very rewarding watch.

  Make or Break Scene: First words.

  MVT: The characters.

  Score: 7/ 10

• Review by Lou 💫 ★★★★

  Wooo the found family trope I love it!

• Review by Maggie Dominiak ★★★★

  I really liked this. If you like My Neighbor Totoro or Spirited Away you may enjoy this film. Themes of found family, overcoming grief and trauma, and learning that there is magic in the smallest of things were all splendid. Great film.

• Review by Katie Ω

  Really nice movie about trauma and overcoming it. Would recommend when it comes out in September.

  *REGAL LA LIVE

• Review by Celluloid_Nils ★★★½

  Before watching the film the title confused me but when I actually watched the movie it made sense.

  It’s a film about a house that belongs to people who have lost, living by a cape. I felt that the film gave the two main characters enough time to breath and explore them.

  The art style, while a bit basic at times, was nice to look at.

  The film tries to balance being supernatural and grounded/realistic but ends up feeling like it’s committed to neither, I think it would’ve benefitted the film if they focused more on the supernatural and magical elements as it feels like that’s the type of story it wants to be.

  It’s an interesting film that’s sometimes feels like it’s being metaphorical

  Or who knows, maybe I’m reading into it too much

• Review by boat_bsk ★★★½

  Grandma character I always think of Kirin Kiki.