Rental Family

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Rental Family

PG-13

2025

1h 43m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

184 Reviews

96%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Verified Ratings

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.

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Critics Consensus

A sweet-natured dramedy about faking human connection until you make it, Rental Family provides Brendan Fraser an ideal showcase for his sensitive star power while backing him up with a terrific ensemble.

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Audience Says

A feel-good story to warm you up this holiday season, Rental Family explores loneliness while reaffirming the significance of human connection.

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Beth Webb

Empire Magazine

2d

3/5

The execution doesn’t always keep up with the premise, but Fraser is an affable guiding light in this crowdpleaser about the complexities of connection.

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Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

2d

1/5

Yes, it’s just awful. Fake, puke-inducing emotional dishonesty of the most absurd kind. Nothing here makes sense.

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Mark Kermode

Kermode and Mayo's Take (YouTube)

2d

The film is fine. It's got some nice, gentle insight into loneliness.

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Ayelet Dekel

Midnight East

1d

Transactional relationships are given a positive spin in Hikari’s Rental Family, starring Brendan Fraser as Phillip Vanderploeg, an American actor living in Japan.

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Aglaia Berlutti

El estímulo

1d

A

Rental Family is a quiet, delicate, and slightly ironic comedy that tenderly observes contemporary loneliness, using Brendan Fraser as an emotional compass in everyday Tokyo. [Full Review in Spanish]

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John Serba

Decider

2d

Rental Family is a finely crafted melodrama with a strong central performance that nonetheless reeks of unfulfilled potential. Mixed feelings then, but it tugs at our heartstrings in a meaningful enough manner to warrant a mild recommendation.

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16h

What? No superheroes, no 6 minute long fight scenes. Rental Family is a touching, beautiful movie. The viewer is transported to another culture with a business that offers a fascinating service to supprt the culture. Beautifull, sensitive performances and story. Loved it.

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Jan 11

Brendan Fraser was excellent, based in Japan. I thought this was a great family movie

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Jan 8

In this modern age where we can buy almost anything and have it delivered, can we also buy the lives we wish for? Rental Family explores this idea with a Japanese aesthetic, and explores what it means to be human, to connect, to be authentic. Definitely worth seeing.

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Jan 2

I was completely surprised by how much I loved it. It was touching, heartfelt, and talked about how very real it is. The impact one person has on another on their life on their emotional stability on everything.

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Dec 30

Unfortunately, I was disappointed in this movie. I guess I expected way more going into the screening. Too boring and too slow for my liking. Just go in with low expectations if you are going to watch this movie.

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Dec 29

Good, clean movie with great storyline.

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HIKARI

Director

Brendan Fraser

Actor

Takehiro Hira

Actor

Mari Yamamoto

Actor

Shannon Gorman

Actor

Akira Emoto

Actor

Rental Family: Extended Preview

9:17

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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.

Director: HIKARI
Producer: Eddie Vaisman, Julia Lebedev, HIKARI, Shin Yamaguchi
Screenwriter: HIKARI, Stephen Blahut
Distributor: Searchlight Pictures
Production Co: Sight Unseen
Rating: PG-13 (Thematic Elements|Suggestive Material|Some Strong Language)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 21, 2025, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 13, 2026
Box Office (Gross USA): $10.0M
Runtime: 1h 43m

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