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Rental Family’ Shares New Clip as Early Review Hails Fraser Before Nov. 21 Release

Rooted in Japan’s rent‑a‑family businesses, Hikari’s drama examines loneliness through the lens of paid intimacy.

Overview

  • TODAY.com published an exclusive scene in which the agency’s owner says the company “sell[s] emotion” and calls Fraser’s character a “token white guy.”
  • Brendan Fraser plays Phillip, an American actor in Tokyo who signs on with a rent‑a‑family agency that supplies surrogate relatives and companions.
  • The film is directed and co-written by Hikari and is loosely based on real services operating in Japan.
  • The release is scheduled for November 21, 2025.
  • The A.V. Club’s early review praises Fraser’s warm performance but criticizes the film as overly sentimental and light on psychological nuance.