Fionnuala Halligan, in her review of the film for Screen Daily, wrote: "As the title suggests, Shunji Iwai focuses on his friends in this documentary, and it is hampered by his inability to cut their testimonies short across lengthy and often repetitive interviews. Despite this, however, this is a cumulatively affecting film and an intriguing insight into the Japanese mindset on what is becoming a growing struggle within the country."[1]
^ ab"岩井俊二監督、震災から1年を経て映画『friends after 3.11』公開" [Director Shunji Iwai releases movie "friends after 3.11" one year after the earthquake]. AdverTimes (in Japanese). 12 March 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2021.