Overview

• The drama from director and co-writer Hikari had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 6 and will be released by Searchlight Pictures on Nov. 21.
• Fraser plays an American adrift in Tokyo who becomes involved in Japan’s rental‑family industry, which hires stand‑ins to play relatives or companions.
• Hikari says the film focuses on found family and community to reflect modern loneliness and the ways people seek connection.
• Initial critical response, including TheWrap, describes the film as tender yet tonally uneven and attentive to ethical complexities in the rental‑family practice.
• Fraser says the streaming era pushes actors to choose projects more carefully, and he immersed himself in the production by spending months in Japan and learning working Japanese.