Rental Family

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Rental Family

PG-13

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1h 43m

Comedy

Drama

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Popcornmeter

87%

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150 Reviews

96%

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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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Ty Burr

Ty Burr's Watch List (Substack)

Dec 6

2.5/4

A sweet, sentimental and fairly soggy drama with a novel dramatic conceit.

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Claudia Puig

FilmWeek (LAist)

Nov 25

The main reason to see it is Brendan Fraser. He is perfectly cast in this role.

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Peter Rainer

FilmWeek (LAist)

Nov 25

It has a terrific premise for a movie, at any rate... But it's a missed opportunity to get under the surface.

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Sebastian Zavala Kahn

Cinencuentro

1d

4/5

It never becomes overly melodramatic or heavy-handed, and although it deals with shades of grey in some of the themes it touches on, it doesn't delve too deeply into them, contenting itself with delivering a feel-good experience. [Full review in Spanish].

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Marie Asner

Phantom Tollbooth

3d

4/5

The real center of ‘Rental Family” is Brendan Fraser who, with a gentle touch and smile, wends his way through the assignments given him and brings warmth to the characters in the film and to the audience.

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James Mottram

Radio Times

4d

3/5

A dynamic Hira, known for TV series Giri/Haji and Shogun, puts in memorable work, but this is Fraser's film. His turn, including some impressive Japanese dialogue exchanges, is the heart of this sweet, low-key oddity.

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Ryan I

6h

Best movie of the year. Recommending it to all my friends.

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Carla R

7h

Amazing movie felt like real life, with an everyday pace. I loved the glimpse into Japanese culture with a GAIJIN twist!

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Marz

2d

A wonderful feel good movie!

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Pamela

2d

Loved this movie. A beautiful story, both funny and touching. Well told with wonderful cast. No violence, no politics. A breath of fresh air.

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Alissa

6d

Absolutely loved it. Feel good film about human connection

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Giulia P

6d

A movie with humor and heart! Enjoyed seeing some of Japan and its culture.

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HIKARI

Director

Brendan Fraser

Actor

Takehiro Hira

Actor

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Actor

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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
Box Office (Gross USA): $10.0M
Runtime: 1h 43m