Rental Family ★★★★

Released: 16 January 2025

Director: Hikari

Starring: Brendan Fraser, Takehiro Hira, Mari Yamamoto, Akira Emoto, Shannon Mahina Gorman

The Japanese- American cross-cultural divide has been previously highlighted in films such as Lost in Translation but Rental Family turns this concept on its head with its humorous but heartfelt insights into the concept of renting a family, literally!

Brendan Fraser stars as the charming Philip, an American has been actor, who migrates to Japan for work on a toothpaste advert, a concept that also sounds similar to Lost in Translation’s portrait of English speaking actors travelling abroad to lend their faces and voices to products that they hope would never grace Western screens! After all, work is work! However, Rental Family distinguishes itself by examining the morality and ethics behind fulfilling all of a client’s desires through an actor for rent service.

Whilst the promise of being considered for a new, serious acting job was initially appealing to Philip, he soon realises a degree of sombreness is involved when the role takes place at a client’s pre-planned funeral service! Rental Family quickly establishes the emotional conundrums for Philip, with light humour, without veering into a stereotypical clash of cultures, American fish out of water trope.

Fraser immerses himself within the role of Philip as the film provides that meta perspective of the extremities of acting work. We witness an acting masterclass in itself, as Fraser manages to appear simultaneously bewildered and sympathetic about the practices undertaken, as his work requests become more unusual. He also paints a convincing depiction as that confused, little boy lost persona that will urge audiences to understand his plight and wish to provide him with a comforting hug. Rental Family delivers that questioning as to the conflict between earning money and the moral implications, faced by Philip, when an acting role serves to satisfy a void and emotional yearning within a client’s life.

Director Hikari unveils this insight into Japanese culture delicately as the rental family industry actually exists and has been thriving since the ‘80s. We are trusted with this behind the scenes perspective that serves to combat a degree of loneliness and isolation experienced by many within Japanese communities. In one scene, we see that Philip is hired on the pre-text of being a journalist interviewing an elderly actor whereas the reality is that his family hired him to be a companion for the elderly man to avoid loneliness. Philip’s relationship with his client unavoidably changes and develops beyond a client-employee relationship with a heartwarming tenderness that underpins the heart of Rental Family.

Whilst Rental Family’s premise might appear to be simple on the surface, the film delves into the complexities of the human condition and truly excels in this portrayal. For Western audiences, there may be that unfamiliarity of not enlisting a therapist to discuss feelings of loneliness or other issues. Such practices and discussion of mental health are still considered taboo in Japanese cultures with a preference to hire strangers instead from rental family companies to provide that comfort.

Therefore, Hikari’s sensitive direction doubly provides that education and prevents Rental Family from straying into absurdist, slapstick territory. Her careful revelation of the stakes involved for Philip and his colleagues, at the Rental Family company, allows audiences to understand the nuances involved for all. By featuring Philip’s female colleague’s, Aiko played by Mari Yamamoto, struggles with various assignments, Hikari equally presents us with a glimpse into the insidious aspects of such industry where women may be degraded under the auspices of meeting client demands. Such moments also reflect the darker elements of humanity and the underlying desire by some to transfer their emotional baggage on to women and ultimately shirk their familial responsibilities. Rental Family therefore shifts in tone as it embraces those concepts through the viewpoint of a Japanese woman and her role within the society but also fortunately takes its time to examine the degree, to which her level of agency can be exercised.

Hikari further channels this female voice by introducing a single mother who wishes to utilise the Rental Family service. Without revealing too much at this stage, this task for Philip raises the emotional and moral stakes even further and invites audiences to look inwards and question their own moral compass. Hikari is unafraid to emphasise the struggle that parents regularly face in trying to safeguard their children’s future prospects by any means necessary. Despite needing to have the tissues nearby during Rental Family’s journey through the kaleidoscope of human emotions, the bonus is that the film introduces us to the delightful talents of rising star Shannon Mahina Gorman playing 11 year old Mia who crosses Philip’s path during one of his many assigned tasks.

Rental Family encourages Fraser to do what he does best in making audiences fall in love with his character Philip with his compassionate traits. It is an engaging, charming and thoughtful behind the scenes perspective of Japanese culture with an impressive acting ensemble that should be added to everyone’s watch list.