• Comedy
• Drama

Rental Family 2025

Rental Family is a 2025 comedy-drama film set in Tokyo, directed by Hikari (37 Seconds) and distributed by Searchlight Pictures. The plot centers on Phillip Vandarploeug (Brendan Fraser), a lonely, down-on-his-luck American actor living in Japan who is struggling to find meaningful work. Desperate for money, he takes an unusual job working for a Japanese "rental family" agency—a real-life phenomenon where actors are hired to play stand-in roles, such as grooms, fathers, or mourners, for strangers. What begins as a mercenary acting gig quickly blurs the line between performance and reality as Phillip forms genuine, deep emotional bonds with his clients, particularly an aging retired actor with dementia, Kikuo Hasegawa (Akira Emoto), and a young girl in need of a father figure, Mia Kawasaki (Shannon Mahina Gorman). The story is a soulful and gentle exploration of loneliness, the need for human connection, and finding purpose in unexpected ways in modern-day Tokyo. The cast is led by Academy Award winner Brendan Fraser, who delivers a widely praised, sensitive performance. He is supported by Japanese actors Takehiro Hira (as the agency owner Shinji), Mari Yamamoto (as coworker Aiko), and veteran actor Akira Emoto.⭐ Critical Reception & Box Office The film has been critically well-received, earning a Certified Fresh status (around 87% approval rating). Critics largely praised Fraser's "soulful warmth" and vulnerability, which carries the film, and Hikari's empathetic direction and beautiful cinematography. Some reviews noted the film leans towards sentimentality but is ultimately a deeply moving drama. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September 2025, generating early Oscar buzz for Fraser. Rental Family was released theatrically in the US on November 21, 2025. It had a semi-wide release on approximately 1,925 screens, but as a smaller-scale drama, its box office was modest, opening to around $3.3 million domestically. While low compared to blockbusters, this total significantly outperformed Fraser's previous comeback film, The Whale, showing steady audience interest.📺 Streaming As a Searchlight Pictures release, the film is expected to follow the distributor's typical window. It is currently available for digital rental or purchase (PVOD) on all major platforms (Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, etc.) since its theatrical run began. It is expected to begin streaming on subscription services (Hulu in the US, Disney+ internationally) in early 2026. Read More

• 2025
• 1 h : 50 min
• 112 views
• 7.545
• PG-13