Rental Family is a pure delight. Since I posted my best movies of 2025, the films I have seen have actually been a vast improvement on what I watched during January to late December last year.
So firstly happy new year!
Set against modern-day Tokyo, this film, 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.
The comedy-drama film directed by Hikari, who co-wrote the script with Stephen Blahut.
Alongside Fraser, Takehiro Hira, Mari Yamamoto, Shannon Mahina Gorman, & Akira Emoto all star in this beautiful film.
An international co-production between the United States and Japan, the film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last September, then released in the USA by Searchlight Pictures in November.
Thus far, Rental Family received positive reviews from critics, who have praised Fraser's performance. The National Board of Review named it as one of the top ten films of 2025.
I honestly also think this would have been one of the best films of the past 12 months.
