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Brendan Fraser’s Tokyo Drama Rental Family Opens Nov. 21 as Early Reviews Roll In

The film draws on Japan’s rent‑a‑family industry to probe paid companionship.

Overview

  • Searchlight Pictures is releasing Rental Family in theaters on November 21.
  • Fraser plays an American actor in Tokyo who joins a rent‑a‑family agency, taking jobs that include posing as a girl’s father for school admission and a journalist for an aging celebrity.
  • Director and co‑writer Hikari says the story is loosely based on real services in Japan and was conceived to reflect people’s longing for connection.
  • An exclusive TODAY.com clip shows the agency declaring it "sells emotion" and noting a need for a "token white guy" as it recruits Fraser’s character.
  • The A.V. Club praises Fraser’s performance but criticizes the movie’s sentimental approach and limited ethical interrogation.