Rental Family Movie Review (2025)
A lovely film about an actor who joins an agency that hires people to play roles in real people’s lives, Rental Family is an enjoyable watch with a fresh concept.
There is this old saying in the ether that everything has been done before. There are no new ideas to be had, so we should be happy with what we have and stop trying. I’m sure that isn’t the intention behind the statement, but that’s how it feels sometimes. But I’m here to say, there are definitely new ideas. Society doesn’t progress without them, and neither does cinema. I want to show the doubters films like Incendies and Twinless, because there is so much novelty to be found, including here.
Rental Family centers on Phillip, a down-on-his-luck actor living in Japan. Woken up by his agent one morning, he is told to run to a role that is only defined as “Sad American.” At this gig, he meets Shinji, the owner of a company that employs actors to play singular roles in real people’s lives. He needs a token white guy, that being a bit of a novelty in Japan, and Phillip begins to fill different shoes.
This is a great film. It is fun to watch, it tugs at the heartstrings, there are a few surprises, and, although some of it is predictable, you spend most of that energy hoping you are right instead of being confident that you are.
Brendan Fraser is fantastic as Phillip, a man who needs to make a living, but is conflicted about the real impacts on the client’s lives. He brings a softness, a tenderness that makes him warm and likeable. He also learned Japanese for the role and appears to speak it with ease.
The concept of having someone fill a role in your life is fascinating, and it’s exciting to watch it play out. A pretend husband so that your parents will leave you alone, a best friend to spend time with because you don’t have one, or a fake mistress so your wife doesn’t meet the real one – there is so much potential for the client as well as possible conflict for the actor. But it’s a job. They are expected to play the part and move on.
Shinji talks about how, at his company, they really sell emotion. If your mother has passed away, but you have unfinished business, this would be a way of resolving that. If you think you deserve a verbal lashing for something you did at work, setting up that scenario could permit you to move on. When Phillip asks why people don’t go to therapy instead, Shinji explains that there is a stigma attached in Japan. So this is a meaningful alternative.
Rental Family is a captivating story that starts small and slowly burns into something more meaningful. It is different from other films out there, but at the end of the day, it is a story about relationships and really seeing people for who they are and what they need. I’m a fan.
Runtime: 110 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: PG-13
Languages Spoken In The Film: English
Should You Watch It? Yes
Did I Cry? I got choked up twice
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
Available: To rent on Prime Video or may be available for free on other streaming platforms
