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Rental Family

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Movie Info & Cast

Synopsis

Set in modern-day Tokyo, RENTAL FAMILY follows an American actor (Brendan Fraser) who struggles to find purpose until he lands an unusual gig: working for a Japanese "rental family" agency, playing stand-in roles for strangers. As he immerses himself in his clients’ worlds, he begins to form genuine bonds that blur the lines between performance and reality. Confronting the moral complexities of his work, he rediscovers purpose, belonging, and the quiet beauty of human connection.

Cast

  • Brendan Fraser
  • Takehiro Hira
  • Mari Yamamoto
  • Shannon Gorman
  • Akira Emoto
  • Nihi
  • Gan Furukawa
  • Takao Kin
  • Yuji Komatsu
  • Ryôko Osada
Moviegoers are saying
"Rental Family" delivers an emotional powerhouse performance anchored by Brendan Fraser's phenomenal comeback, taking audiences on a heartfelt journey that consistently moves viewers to tears. While one reviewer felt it didn't live up to the hype, the overwhelming consensus celebrates this as an inspiring tale of loneliness and human connection that hits all the feels.
Top Mentions
All-The-Feels
Tear-Jerker
Brendan-Fraser-Comeback
Tissue-Warning
Heartfelt-Journey
Indie-Darling
Summary generated from the text of Atom User reviews

Letterboxd User Reviews

3.9
57.8K
23.9K
24.8K
RATINGS 259 FANS
3.9

Queue Community Reviews

97%
Community 2,297
❤️ LOVE
30%
👍 LIKE
67%
😐 MEH
2%
👎 DISLIKE
1%
Top Reviews

Atom User Reviews

4.7 out of 5
58
14
2
2
0
POPULAR TAGS
#allthefeels
#original
#great
#greatcast
#inspiring
#familyfriendly
#<3
#datenight
#hilarious
#mustsee
#indiehit
#seeingitagain
#awardbuzz
#smart
#surprising
#lovestory
#slow
Verified Review
#inspiring
#original
#seeingitagain
#<3
#hilarious
#great
#greatcast
#allthefeels

“Rental Family” punches you in the face with the emotional rollercoaster it takes you on. An easy 10/10 and would def watch again!

LG
Luis G
Verified Review
#original
#familyfriendly
#great
#allthefeels
#inspiring

Brendan Fraser was phenomenal.

BH
Bob H

Metacritic

33
Nov 18, 2025

Fraser walks through this aggressively sappy drama with the aura of simple goodness that has served him well. But such concentrated radiance starts to feel like a denial of the painful reality Rental Family ignores. The movie wants to give you a hug, but you may be tempted to slap it across the face.

Metacritic review by Tim Grierson
Tim Grierson
The A.V. Club
58
Sep 9, 2025

Rental Family, directed by Hikari, displays an almost admirable amount of restraint in its tear jerking, opting for quieter moments of grace rather than overdone emotion. In fact, it’s so restrained that Fraser’s Phillip Vandarpleog is not much of a character at all, and you leave itching for more of his inner life.

Esther Zuckerman
The Daily Beast
75
Sep 7, 2025

Rental Family could have gone deeper, darker, and more boldly into the oddities of the human rental market. But that would be a different film. It seems silly to come down too hard on this good-natured comedy-drama––especially for offering a much more impressive performance than the one that earned Fraser an Oscar.

Metacritic review by Christopher Schobert
Christopher Schobert
The Film Stage