We all seek connection – it's a part of being human. It's human to seek a place where we belong. It's human to desire kinship. It's human to long for a purpose. Filmmaker Hikari (Netflix's 'Beef', '37 Seconds') embarks on an exploration of these very human inclinations in her sweet-natured comedy-drama 'Rental Family'.
The film follows Phillip Vanderploeg (Brendan Fraser, 'The Whale', 1999's 'The Mummy'), a floundering U.S. actor trying to find his place and purpose in Tokyo. During his ongoing search for work, Phillip is put in touch with a man named Shinji (Takehiro Hira, 'Gran Turismo', Apple TV+'s 'Shōgun') and lands an unusual gig at a rental family agency. Tasked with filling in hired roles for strangers – a best friend, a husband, a father – Phillip finds himself blurring the lines between performance and reality as he immerses himself in his clients' worlds.
SWITCH: 'RENTAL FAMILY' TRAILER
Hesitant at first, Phillip finds it hard to understand why people need to outsource emotional intimacy. Shouldn't they just be honest about their circumstances? Shouldn't they seek real connection? But as he becomes more entrenched in his role, he begins to realise that "sometimes the story we tell ourselves becomes the truth." Through his roles as a journalist interviewing an ageing film star, a parent to a fatherless child and a best friend to a hikikomori (a Japanese term for someone who isolates themselves at home), Phillip starts shifting the boundaries of these relationships – and finds it hard not to make connections of his own.
A rental family service isn't a new idea – these businesses have been prospering throughout Japan since the early 90s. These companies – Japan Efficiency, Office Agents and Family Romance, to name a few – mostly offer services unique to aspects of Japanese culture such as saving face and social etiquette. They also respond to the Japanese phenomenon of social isolation known as hikikomori, with some families hiring rental friends to help break isolation. Drawing on this context, Hikari provides a compassionate lens into why people turn to these unconventional methods of emotional support. "You could live in this country for a hundred years and there will still be things you won't understand," Shinji remarks in the film – and she's right. Hikari, however, makes these cultural phenomena easier to understand and empathise with, breaking the stigma surrounding these services and illuminating the very real reasons why they exist.
Hikari makes these cultural phenomena easier to understand and empathise with, breaking the stigma surrounding these services and illuminating the very real reasons why they exist.
While rental family services themselves aren't new, Hikari's choice to use them to explore human emotion and connection is quite unique. The ensemble cast of Fraser, Hira and Mari Yamamoto (TV's 'Pachinko') portray their characters with a lighthearted honesty that feels raw and authentic, but still allows the story to unfold with warmth and empathy. Fraser's performance, in particular, feels like a natural continuation of his work in 'The Whale'. Both roles carry a vulnerability that contrasts sharply against work from earlier in his career such as 'The Mummy' and 'George of the Jungle', highlighting his range and signalling a compelling new chapter for the much-loved actor.
Cinematic establishing shots further ground the film in realism. Familiar images of commuters rushing through Shibuya Scramble Crossing, packing onto Shinjuku Line trains, and wandering the streets of Meguro capture the city's restless beauty. By pairing these recognisable landmarks with quieter, more locally known suburban scenes, the film offers an authentic portrait of Tokyo - one that fully immerses the viewer in a world that feels simultaneously familiar and unknown.
The ideas in the film may seem heavy, but the story is portrayed with such whimsy and lightheartedness that it remains a joy to watch – I laughed far more than I cried. Not every role Phillip takes on has a happy ending, because life doesn't always have a happy ending. But this film does, and you will exit the cinema with your cup a little more full than when you entered.