Brendan Fraser swaps Hollywood for Tokyo in this gentle comedy drama about loneliness, paid affection and unexpected belonging. If you have ever felt a bit adrift in a new country, this story of a struggling expat actor might hit closer to home than you expect.
Film details
- Title: Rental Family (2025)
- Director: Hikari
- Cast: Brendan Fraser, Mari Yamamoto, Takehiro Hira, Shannon Mahina Gorman, Akira Emoto
- Genre: Comedy drama
- Runtime: 110 minutes
- Language: English and Japanese, Dutch subtitles
- Age rating: 6+ (Kijkwijzer, mild violence and some scary moments)
- Dutch cinema release: 8 January 2026
- Where to watch in Rotterdam: KINO Rotterdam and Kinepolis Cinerama
Short synopsis
American actor Philip is stuck in Tokyo doing embarrassing commercial gigs and wondering what happened to his career. Desperate for work, he signs up with a “rental family” agency, playing stand-in dads, husbands and friends for paying clients. What starts as a slightly absurd side job slowly becomes something more real, especially when he is hired to pose as the father of Mia, a sharp young girl applying to an elite school. Between fake family dinners, awkward ceremonies and quiet train rides, Philip begins to find purpose in relationships that were never meant to last.
What’s the vibe?
Think soft winter light on Tokyo side streets, vending machines glowing at night and a big-hearted Brendan Fraser in slightly rumpled suits. Rental Family balances bittersweet comedy with gentle social observation: it pokes fun at the idea of paying strangers to play family, yet treats everyone involved with warmth rather than cynicism. The pacing is unhurried, so you get time with each client and their emotional mess, from lonely salarymen to a retired actor slipping into dementia. If you enjoy character-driven stories where small gestures matter more than plot twists, this one is for you.
Trailer
Check out the trailer below.
Why you might like it
- Eyes: Tokyo is shot with a mix of neon and soft natural light, drifting from cramped apartments to old-fashioned neighbourhoods and overgrown countryside, all set to a delicate score by Jónsi and Alex Somers.
- Heart: Fraser leans fully into sad, awkward dad energy, especially in his scenes with Mia; it is a found-family story that goes for quiet emotional payoffs instead of big speeches.
- Mind: The film invites you to think about gig work, emotional labour and what “family” means when roles can literally be rented by the hour, without turning into a heavy lecture.
Critical reception
Rental Family has landed solidly with critics and audiences. On Rotten Tomatoes it holds around 87 percent positive reviews from more than 150 critics, with a glowing 96 percent audience score and Certified Fresh label. Metacritic lists the film at 68 out of 100, signalling generally favourable reviews, and CinemaScore reports an “A” grade from opening-weekend audiences.
Reviews consistently praise Fraser’s performance as one of his most tender roles since The Whale, calling the film “sweet and lyrical” and a “gentle, humane comedy,” while also noting that Hikari keeps the tone low key rather than flashy. Some critics would have liked a sharper look at Japan’s hire-a-family industry, but most agree that the film’s mix of humour and empathy makes it a quietly affecting crowd-pleaser. It has already popped up on the National Board of Review’s list of the ten best films of 2025, which usually means it will stay in the award-season conversation.
Scene to watch for
Keep an eye on the sequence where Philip takes retired actor Kikuo back to his rural hometown, now half swallowed by greenery. Away from clients and scripts, the two wander through an abandoned house and dig up an old time capsule, and the film drops into a quiet, emotional register that says more about memory, regret and chosen family than any monologue could. It is a gentle gut punch that shows why Fraser and Akira Emoto have been getting so much praise for their work together.
Recommended pairing
- Pre-film activity: take a late-afternoon walk through your own neighbourhood with headphones on and pay attention to small details you usually ignore, from shopfronts to balcony plants.
- Food: pick up a Japanese-style convenience store picnic for after the screening; think onigiri, canned coffee and a sweet treat that crinkles when you open it.
- Post-film chat: grab a drink at home and talk with a friend about the “roles” you play in other people’s lives and which ones you would actually pay to keep.
Need-to-knows
Rental Family is inspired by real “rental family” services in Japan, where agencies hire actors to pose as relatives, colleagues or partners at social events. Director Hikari previously made the award-winning film 37 Seconds and has directed episodes of Tokyo Vice and Beef, so she knows her way around cross-cultural stories. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025 before touring festivals in Rome, Tokyo and Stockholm, then moving into wide release with Searchlight Pictures.
There is also an unrelated 2023 Japanese drama with the same title, so if you look it up online, make sure you are checking the 2025 Hikari film with Brendan Fraser rather than the earlier movie. For families: in the Netherlands it is suitable from age six, but very young kids might find some of the themes around illness and loneliness a bit intense.
