RENTAL FAMILY is a 2025 coming-of-age drama film directed by Hikari, from a screenplay she co-wrote with Stephen Blahut. The film premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 6th, 2025.
A lonely American actor (Brendan Fraser) living in Tokyo starts working for a Japanese "rental family" company to play stand-in roles in other people's lives. Along the way, he finds surprising connections and unexpected joys within his built-in family.
The cast includes Brendan Fraser, Takehiro Hira, Mari Yamamoto, Shannon Gorman, and Akira Emoto.
RENTAL FAMILY made its debut in theaters November 21st, courtesy of Searchlight Pictures.
In my opinion, Brendan Fraser has been an American icon for as long as I can remember. It goes without saying that his performance in The Whale was transformative as far as his acting career, but this dude has always had that “it factor” that is honestly rare to find. Frasier just has a certain energy on screen that demands the attention of the audience. When the trailer released for RENTAL FAMILY, I knew without a doubt this is gonna be yet another absolute gem for him.
I am honestly a sucker for a good tearjerker, and just the coming-of-age genre in general. I mean, at the end of the day that is the power of quality cinema, the ability to feel something from a film. That was the vibe I was getting from RENTAL FAMILY, and I’m thrilled to say that the film absolutely delivered. Some films just have the ability to immerse the audience from the opening scene, and RENTAL FAMILY finds a way to set the stage for an all-encompassing story in what feels like just a few minutes.
I found myself instantly drawn to Frazier‘s character, and I felt an emotional attachment to him that to me was genuinely earned. Just reading recent interviews Fraser did as he talked about the grind to succeed in the film industry and the fact that he struggles with confidence issues feeling like he will never be enough. I mean come on people, we need to protect this man at all costs. Brendan Fraser is as real as an actor can get, and he takes on roles that are important to him and that mean something.
In RENTAL FAMILY Frasier plays the role of a struggling American actor living in Japan named Phillip Vandarpleog. Part of what makes this film so great is you get to see the world from the eyes of his character, and with that you see how much he wishes he had more meaning to his life. Something as simple as looking out the window of his apartment over to the next building where he can see the lives of other people, spending meaningful time with family, enjoying celebrations, etc. Soon Phillip stumbles upon an opportunity to work for a small agency that hires actors to play real roles in people’s lives. Most notably Phillip takes on the role of an absentee father to a young girl, and a journalist who is attempting to tell the story of an aging actor terrified that his legacy and his memory is fading away.
Initially Phillip does his best to fulfill his obligations, but he soon faces the reality that these people need more than just an actor playing a role. Phillip makes the decision to risk his career to be the person that these people really need in their lives. I thought that Frasier was incredible in this film, and just the amount of pure emotion that he displays on screen you just need to see to believe. I’ll admit, I did had to reach for the tissues a few times. I’m not ashamed to admit that, but just the emotional connection I had to this film from the start right until the very end was really special to me. Frasier was fantastic, but the entire supporting cast was really incredible as well.
I honestly can’t say enough good things about all of the performances in the film. The main supporting cast included veteran actor Takehiro Hira who was really good in this as the owner of the small agency. Actress Mari Yamamoto was great as well, and I really enjoyed the chemistry she shared with Fraser. Although he had a smaller role I thought Kimura Bun took full advantage of his opportunities. I was genuinely impressed by young actress Shannon Gorman as her character was pivotal in the story as it helped to unlock what had been missing in Phillip’s seemingly lonely life. Actor Akira Emoto also plays a very special role in the film.
One thing I really loved about Branden Fraser‘s character was the fact that he was able to tap into his own trauma to help him better support these people he was trying to help. I feel like the overall message of the film is that when we are feeling stuck or hopeless in our lives, sometimes connecting and attempting to really help others can be the best way to lead us back to what we need to help ourselves.
As far as a technical elements, everything really seems to just work in unison, with some beautiful shots and breathtaking cinematography, matched up with what I thought was a truly beautiful soundtrack compliments of composers Jon Thor Birgisson and Alex Somers. This soundtrack is already added to my playlist library and may just replace my current mood music mix. It really is that good. I have always wanted to explore far away places and different cultures, and I just loved how the film included this American man who although he had been living in this place for nearly 10 years, he still had so much to learn. Filmed on location all over gorgeous Japan, I found myself having this urge to walk in to this hole in the wall establishment and order a beer and ramen. RENTAL FAMILY does an incredible job immersing viewers in Japanese culture and the unique feel of this city.
THE VERDICT
A beautifully shot coming-of-age drama that explores the power of human connection and our desire to find real meaning in our lives, RENTAL FAMILY is a fantastic film and such a unique and impactful emotional journey. Get the tissues out because this is a movie that makes you feel something, and for me that just goes above and beyond a traditional theater experience. Please get to the theater as soon as possible to see RENTAL FAMILY so that we can get more of these impactful original stories. Highly recommend.
TED TAKES RATING - 9.5/10
RENTAL FAMILY is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.
