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Rental Family’ Opens in U.S. Theaters as Critics Praise Brendan Fraser’s Tender Turn

Reviewers highlight Hikari’s naturalistic portrait of Japan’s rental‑companion industry, noting the film’s ethical questions and cultural context as its emotional core.

Overview

  • Searchlight Pictures released the PG-13, 103-minute film in theaters on Nov. 21, with no streaming yet; it is expected to land on Hulu/Disney+ later.
  • Brendan Fraser stars as an American actor in Tokyo who takes paid roles in people’s lives, a performance widely cited as the movie’s emotional anchor.
  • The story draws on real Japanese rental-companion businesses, which the director says number in the hundreds today and trace back to a 1991 service.
  • Hikari co-wrote the screenplay with Stephen Blahut and films Tokyo with a grounded approach that foregrounds loneliness, belonging, and cultural norms around public persona.
  • Critics note the film explores morally fraught assignments—such as posing as a parent or a journalist—without tipping into sentimentality, supported by a cast including Takehiro Hira, Mari Yamamoto, Akira Emoto, Shino Shinozaki and Shannon Mahina Gorman.