A Look at What Community Means
Screened at the Virginia Film Festival as the Closing Night Film, Rental Family is an endearing piece of cinema that details a busy Japan. The film details the importance of human connection through the lens of an actor who does gigs to make a difference in strangers’ lives. The direction and lively scenery make for a feel-good film that’s not only foreign but makes its own statement on the importance of finding acceptance and community.
A Tale of Connection
Rental Family tells the story of an American actor named Philip Vanderploeug who is an American living in Japan. In Japan, he’s struggling to find his purpose in life, and with this struggle, he ends up falling into these gigs where he plays a stand-in for strangers through a Japanese agency. Doing this line of work eventually causes him to form relationships that are not just transactional with various groups of people from different backgrounds. These relationships make it hard for him to differentiate acting from realism. As he is battling the internal complexities of his line of work, he begins to find his purpose and understand what personifies the meaning of human connection.
Rental Family is a well-intentioned film that wears its heart on its sleeve. The precision that is used to showcase the ways of Japanese everyday life is beautifully depicted and shown in a way that isn’t often showcased in film. The film transports you to Japan, and it is done so intricately with a boast of colors and great cinematography. The film’s story is clear, which helps and hurts it at the same time, but it works well as it is straightforward to follow. The film never feels as though it’s losing its endearment, but it does fall into some cliches that are easy to overlook due to how soft and tender the film is at its core. With human connection being one of the biggest themes going for the film, it depicts that through an internal and external lens that should not go unnoticed. The film is beautifully written, and the acting is sublime at the same time, which makes certain elements of the film even more grand than expected. There was a clear vision that was expected for this film, and the objective was fulfilled, offering a foreign perspective that felt engaging and honest.
A Family Affair
Brendan Fraser’s performance as the titular lead was beautiful and complex at the same time. There were many moments where he said certain things, but internally, you could easily read that he was feeling something totally different. While there were moments where he knew that he didn’t fit into the everyday life of others around him, he knew that he had a civic duty to make a difference in these people’s lives, and that is what he did. There were other moments where doing what he did also had consequences, and it was those consequences that put him in even crazier situations, which he knew, but it was so beautiful to see because Fraser was committed to being in touch with kindness, whether he was acting or being human and learning from the juxtaposition.
The standout of Rental Family is Akira Emoto. Emoto’s performance was hilarious from the moment that he stepped on screen, and he added so much more to Fraser’s role than expected. The chemistry between Fraser and Emoto is shockingly one of the best parts of the film, and even more so endearing than some of the more highlighted stories in the film. What Emoto does for Fraser, especially in the final 30 minutes of the film, is beautiful. Giving Fraser the green light to convey humanism that he wasn’t able to do before earlier in the film is delightful.
Hikari’s direction is beautiful, and her vision will only continue to grow as this is her second feature film. At the end of the film, she sat down and gave her side of the story as to what the film meant to her. One thing that she said that was surrounding the film was that she wanted to make a feel-good film. She expressed through the early 90s into the 2000s that she enjoyed those films the most, and they made her happy, which was her inspiration for Rental Family. She also spoke on wanting to be in situations where she only looks like herself, and that is why Fraser’s character was the main focus of the film, seeing that he was a minority and a hustling and bustling Japan. With that said, Hikari set out to do what she intended for Rental Family; it is well-intentioned, and it works beautifully as a poignant study on human connection.
While Hikari set out to do everything that she intended to do with the film, the film is still generic. Aside from its hustle and bustle that showcases Japan through many facets, the film feels like any other feel-good film in the sense that you know exactly what’s going to happen. This takes away a bit of the excitement that the film sets up, even with its different characters, because everything feels played out in some way. Though that sets the film back, it is still meaningful and meant to be explored with some great comedic and heartfelt moments.
Scenic Bliss
The film is beautifully shot and is shown through the lens of toned combustion. A lot of the shots in the film come from the bustling scene that Japan operates around. Japan is known for its Innovation, and the film beautifully depicts that. It is noted that Hikari wanted to transport the audience into the world of Japan from afar, giving an experience that feels homely and transparent. This works well for the film, especially with its lighting, as there are many scenes that aren’t meant to be flashy, but they work in lockstep with the flow of realism and progression. Aside from this is the production design, which the film is mostly filmed on location, which also feels indigenous to Hikari, as well, due to the fact that the film is supposed to give an authentic, poignant look into Japan’s scenic atmosphere. The film score is beautiful as it is calm and insightful. There is so much exploration in the score details, and it’s inviting to the point where it’s comfortable and familiar. The score just shows so much love for people and humanism through the lens of the characters throughout the film, alongside Fraser’s candor through his role. The message that was being conveyed is that whether you fit in or not, there is a home for you, whether it’s in a foreign land or within an unexpected community that is seen throughout the film, even in its final shot.
A Familial Finale
Rental Family is a beautiful exploration of human connection and endearment. Hikari’s directions serve as a love letter to Japan due to its bustling scene and warmth, and innovation. Fraser gives a loving and tender performance as a fish out of water in Japan who is constantly looking for work without an emotional connection until the connection finds him.
Rental Family will release in theaters on November 21.
Rental Family (2025) Official Searchlight Pictures Trailer
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Author
Kendra Dennis is a Pennsylvania-based creative and content writer. While her passion lies within the creative realm, Kendra enjoys any time she gets to write. Kendra graduated from American Public University System in June of 2025 with a BA in English. She enjoys writing stories that open up to a larger world where readers can get lost. You can find her daydreaming about her newest stories or reorganizing one of her many bookshelves.