YNOT at the Movies

A film about paid companionship shouldn't feel this warm, but writer-director HIKARI's Tokyo-set drama "Rental Family" (Japan/USA 2025 | in Japanese/English | 103 min.) turns artificial arrangements into something quietly moving and unexpectedly genuine. The film is both affecting and sincere, carried by Brendan Fraser's nuanced performance and a compassionate interest in people trying to bridge the empty spaces in their lives. Even when the script leans on contrived situations and stretches plausibility, the film's big heart and its belief in human connection give it a steady emotional pull.

Set in modern-day Tokyo, the story follows Phillip Vandarpleog (Brendan Fraser), an American actor adrift in a foreign city. After years of dwindling opportunities, he finds unexpected work at a "rental family" agency, where actors are hired to play stand-in roles for clients who need a parent, a partner, a friend, or simply someone to stand beside them. As Phillip takes on a series of jobs, the line between performance and genuine feeling begins to shift, and he rediscovers a sense of purpose he thought he had lost.

Brendan Fraser brings a quietly compassionate presence to Phillip even when certain assignments strain belief. One scenario has him playing the groom at a wedding, a setup so implausible it sparks an immediate question: have the bride's parents truly never met the man their daughter is about to marry? Another job requires him to pose as the father of Mia (Shannon Mahina Gorman) to help her pass a competitive school interview. And when he is hired to act as a journalist interviewing legendary Japanese actor Kikuo Hasegawa (Akira Emoto), the logic wobbles again. Why would such a revered figure need an American journalist to validate his legacy?

Yet the film repeatedly finds emotional grace within these contrived setups. Phillip's bond with Mia grows into one of the film's most touching threads, buoyed by Shannon Mahina Gorman's natural and openhearted performance. And his companionship with Kikuo Hasegawa becomes deeply affecting as Phillip chooses to support the aging actor's final wishes, revealing the depth of kindness beneath his hesitant exterior.

The screenplay may stumble, but director HIKARI (HIKARI) infuses the film with sincerity. The intention behind her work is unmistakable, built on empathy, on the desire to help others, and on the fragile yet meaningful ways people reach for connection. That emotional foundation gives the film its warmth, even when the plotting falters.

With strong performances, an admirable emotional richness, and a genuine belief that human contact, however imperfect, can still heal, this film emerges as a heartfelt drama where the feelings are real even when the relationships begin as an act.

"Rental Family" opens in theaters on Friday, November 21, 2025.