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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149 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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Marie Asner

Phantom Tollbooth

5h

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

20h

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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Peter Gray

The AU Review

2d

4/5

A beautiful, non-judgmental dramedy, Rental Family honours the service at its core.

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Alissa

2d

Absolutely loved it. Feel good film about human connection

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Giulia P

3d

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

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Veronica B

3d

Brandon Frasiers acting was truly a masterpiece. Film depicts our need for human connection and how disconnected weve become. A beautiful movie not to be missed.

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Jackson

4d

Amazing. If you’re on the fence (and I can get that - the premise is a bit out there), watch it. You won’t regret it.

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Ted S

4d

Phenomenal acting, writing, cinematography. Perfection.

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Greg

6d

The movie was about connecting with people, really seeing them, listening to them, helping fulfill their needs, helping them to be happy. But in such an unusual and unique way.

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HIKARI

Director

Brendan Fraser

Actor

Takehiro Hira

Actor

Mari Yamamoto

Actor

Shannon Gorman

Actor

Akira Emoto

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