Our Review

                          Movie: RENTAL FAMILY

           Rating: PG-13, thematic elements, some strong                               language, and suggestive material`

                                     Length: 1:43

                       Release Date: November 21, 2025  

Jeanne: One of the most endearing and heartwarming movies to come along in quite a while, RENTAL FAMILY, starring Brendan Fraser as an American actor living and working in Tokyo, reminds us of the importance of human connection. Directed by HIKARI, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Stephen Blahut, this story, despite being set in Japan and focusing on Japanese culture, will resonate with people all over the world.

Phillip Vandarpleog (Fraser) has been in Japan for seven years after initially moving there to act in a major toothpaste commercial. Since then, his career has stalemated, but he makes enough to support himself. A bizarre opportunity to play a mourner at a person’s funeral who’s not really dead, affords Phillip the chance to meet Shinji Tada (Takehiro Hira), the owner of the Rental Family business.

Shinji invites Phillip to come to his office and offers him a job as an actor in his “rent-a-family” company. One of Shinji’s other employees, Aiko Nakajima (Mari Yamamoto), is not happy about hiring an American, and Phillip almost screws up his first job as a groom, which really upsets Aiko. But, as he starts to get the hang of it, Phillip proves to be very talented at making people believe he’s part of the family.

His two most important clients are a young girl named Mia (Shannon Mahina Gorman) and Kikuo Hasegawa (Akira Emoto). Mia is being raised by a single mother (Shino Shinozaki), who wants Mia to gain acceptance into a prestigious private school, but the institution requires a two-parent household. So she hires Phillip to play Mia’s father to get through the interview process.

And Kikuo is a well-known Japanese actor who is in the early stages of memory loss. His daughter hires Phillip to pose as a journalist writing a story about Kikuo, which gives Phillip the chance to become Kikuo’s companion. Both of these assignments test Phillip’s moral compass, but he manages to survive and grow from the experiences.

HIKARI saw Fraser in THE WHALE and immediately wanted him to be cast as Phillip. He certainly embodies the kind man we see in Phillip, who is always willing to learn something new. Fraser spent a great deal of time immersing himself in the Japanese culture and learning the language.

RENTAL FAMILY is filmed exclusively in Japan and Fraser appears totally comfortable being the fish-out-of- water in Phillip’s adopted homeland. His performance is so sweet and sincere and his relationships with Shannon and Akira are truly believable --- so loving and poignant. He’s actually perfect in this role.

Miss Gorman, 11 years old when RENTAL FAMILY was filmed, is a real gem. This is her first movie and her portrayal is enlightening. She’s adorable and has such a lovely connection with Fraser, who told her real father, “She’s the best I’ve ever worked with.”

RENTAL FAMILY is laugh-out-loud funny, serious and completely entertaining. It’s the ideal movie for a family outing at the theater.

Opinion: Strong See It Now!

David: Academy Award winner Brendan Fraser leads a superb ensemble cast in RENTAL FAMILY. His character is Phillip Vandarpleog, an American actor living in Tokyo. His previous toothpaste commercial in Japan made him a star, and now he takes small roles to support himself.

He meets the owner of a company called Rental Family which ordinary people use to hire actors to play characters in their lives. For example, looking for someone to be your significant other at a wedding? Call Rental Family. Need a mourner at a funeral? Call Rental Family. Actually that’s an early scene in the movie that is laugh-out-loud funny.

As Phillip settles into his new responsibilities, a single mom contacts Rental Family. The firm’s owner, Shinji Tada (Takehiro Hira), sends Phillip on a mission to play her daughter Mia’s long-lost father, a guy who actually abandoned his family when the daughter was a toddler. While this may be a bit predictable, the development of their relationship is totally heartwarming thanks to strong portrayals by Fraser and newcomer Shannon Mahina Gorman, all of 11 years old.

Phillip has another job to interact with a veteran Japanese actor named Kikuo Hasegawa (Akira Emoto), who is losing his memory and dementia is looming. They, too, have a special bond that is also endearing. Another cast standout is Mari Yamamoto as Aiko Nakajima, one of Phillip’s co-workers at Tada’s company.

RENTAL FAMILY is directed by HIKARI and co-written by her and Stephen Blahut. HIKARI explains that companies like Rental Family are quite prevalent in Japan largely because Japanese people are reluctant to talk to a therapist in person, but need emotional support in familial situations. As for the actors playing fictional characters, she advises that “the roles may seem fake but the emotion is real.”

I loved this movie because of its unique premise and the superb screenplay. RENTAL FAMILY is filled with humorous moments but its real strength is the authentic human joy that permeates the entire story.

Opinion: Strong See It Now!