Brendan Fraser's latest cinematic venture, Rental Family, has been met with a critical mauling, described as a silly, saccharine, and fundamentally pointless drama. The film, directed by Japanese actor-turned-filmmaker Hikari, is set for release in UK and Irish cinemas from 16 January.
A Questionable Premise in Tokyo
The film places Fraser in the role of Phillip, a hapless American actor who came to Tokyo for a toothpaste commercial and never left. Adrift and unemployed, he stumbles upon income with a peculiar service: a "rental family" firm. These businesses, which exist in reality in Japan, offer bespoke therapeutic role-play, providing clients with stand-ins for errant spouses, deceased loved ones, or difficult colleagues for cathartic conversations or confrontations.
Phillip, who harbours his own daddy issues from childhood, is hired to impersonate a father for a young girl during a high-stakes school interview. He is also tasked with being a mock son to an ageing actor, hired by the man's concerned daughter to conduct a flattering interview. The film attempts to mine this unusual premise for both drama and comedy, but according to critics, it fails on both fronts.
A Tonal Mismatch and Critical Shortcomings
The review highlights a serious tonal problem at the film's core. Where other directors have approached similar subject matter with a sense of unease or satire—such as Werner Herzog's 2019 documentary Family Romance, LLC or Yorgos Lanthimos's Alps—Hikari's film opts for feelgood slush. It leans on vacuous platitudes about everyone playing roles in life, without engaging with the ethical complexities and potential emotional damage inherent in the rental family business.
One narrative strand involves Phillip pretending to be a groom in a sham wedding to help a woman deceive her parents, played for quirky farce. Another sees him risking profound emotional harm to a child by posing as her long-lost father. The review notes that while Phillip eventually apologises to the girl, no such remorse is shown to the elderly actor he also deceives, underscoring the film's "wrong-headed" and "smug" sensibility.
Final Verdict on a Flawed Concept
Ultimately, Rental Family is criticised for being bafflingly complacent in its sentimentality and sheer implausibility. Fraser's performance is labelled a bland and ingratiating presence in a film that feels valueless as both drama and comedy. By glossing over the dysfunctional and irresponsible nature of its central conceit with saccharine warmth, the film is deemed to have missed a more compelling, critical opportunity, resulting in a cinematic experience that is as forgettable as it is frustrating.
