Carl Roberts 
“Hikari’s Rental Family is a sweet, charming, and delightful comedy drama that has Brendan Fraser deliver yet another winning performance.”
Rental Family is the latest movie from Japanese filmmaker Hikari. Set in Tokyo, the film features Brendan Fraser as Phillip Vandarploeug, an American actor living in Japan who joins a rental family agency to earn a living. Hikari co-wrote the movie with Stephen Blahut. It is a comedy-drama that looks great, gives off a warm feeling, and is quite emotional. But can the film live up to its promise and deliver a cinematic delight? Or should have sped through like a Bullet Train, never to arrive in the movie theater station?
PREMISE
A lonely American actor living in Tokyo starts working for a Japanese rental family service to play stand-in roles in other people’s lives. Along the way, he finds surprising connections and unexpected joys within his new family.
THOUGHTS
The film is a sheer delight from start to finish, containing great humour, some telling drama, and some high emotion that leaves us with a lump in our throats. It’s a sweet tale that demonstrates Brendan Fraser’s acting prowess once more. Add in the stunning Japanese locations, a superb supporting cast, and a strong storyline, and we have a movie that never fails to resonate. It is all wrapped up in a great package that has landed a spot in my top ten films of 2025. It really is that enjoyable.
BRENDAN FRASER
Brendan Fraser is a delight here. Forget his goofy roles in George Of The Jungle and The Mummy Movies. He once again shows he is a versatile actor who can handle anything that comes his way. We all saw his acting prowess in The Whale, the film for which he won countless awards, including Best Actor at the Academy Awards. Although this role isn’t nearly as dramatic, Fraser gives his all throughout. As Phillip, Fraser makes us laugh, cheer, cry, and smile. There is nothing that the actor leaves out of his role; he gives everything, leaving an indelible mark on the screen every time he appears. His sometimes child-like wonder fits in perfectly with what he is hired to do in the film.
His interactions with young actress Shannon Mahina Gorman as Mia Kawasaki, a young girl in need of a father figure, are truly heartwarming. Mia resents him at first. Her mother (Shino Shinozaki) has hired him to portray her father, someone Mia has never met. Mia slowly warms to him, making their blooming relationship that much more touching. Mia comes to love Phillip, actually believing him to be her father. When her mother terminates the contract with the agency, thus removing her ‘father’ from her life, Mia is devastated. The surprise is, Phillip is, too. He has grown into the role a little too well.
A TOUCHING FRIEND
Phillip is also hired to portray a journalist to interview Kikuo Hasegawa, a Rental Family client and retired actor (Akira Emoto). What starts as a rocky relationship becomes a side story that is heartwarming, funny, and emotionally devastating. Kikno is always talking about ‘escaping’ because he is constantly surrounded by people who help him and keep an eye on him. Kikno is slowly succumbing to Alzheimer’s, robbing him of his memories of years gone by. His interactions with Phillip are playful, often hilarious, but also turn into anger at times. After being told not to come back, Phillip sneaks back in to help Kikno escape and take him on a road trip he is constantly asking for.
With the pair taking off in the middle of the night for Kikno’s much-desired trip, the pair become even closer than before. Kikno needs to get to where he’s going, to accomplish this possible final trip he so desperately needs to take. When they finally reach their destination, a heartbreaking revelation tugs at our heartstrings, leaving us saddened by what we have discovered. It is in these scenes where the film reaches its apex, the touching high of the film. Fraser and Emoto deliver what may be their finest work here, with both providing a masterclass in acting. It isn’t a lie to say that we will need tissues by the climax of this incredible part of the film.
TAKEHIRO HIRA AND MARI YAMAMOTO
Takehiro Hira as Shinji, the Rental Family agency owner, and Mari Yamamoto as Aiko, an employee of the Rental Family agency, excel in their roles. Hira is often hilarious as Shinji. He sometimes comes across as a flustered owner rather than the cool, calm, and collected Japanese businessman he is. His interactions with Fraser and Mari Yamamoto are brilliantly funny, witty and heartfelt. But deep down, Shinji knows that even though he is selling happiness to his clients, morally, what he’s doing is wrong. It could lead to all kinds of emotional turmoil for his clients and/or their families. Hira is completely charming, affable, and engaging as Shinji, a highlight of the film.
Mari Yamamoto is equally as good as Aiko. Her interactions with Hira and Fraser are inspired. She has a sense of ironic wit that often appears in almost every conversation she has throughout the film. But even she isn’t immune to the feelings of wrongdoing. Later in the movie, when she has to apologise to a customer’s wife, pretending to be her husband’s mistress, she comes to a realisation. This isn’t who she is, this isn’t what she wants to be. And why is she allowing this scumbag to berate and even slap her in front of his wife? Why should she be the villain, even if she’s being paid to do so? Mari Yamamoto is brilliant in her role, even becoming the perfect foil to Fraser at times.
HIKARI
The direction by Hikari is superb. She directs her cast to brilliant heights from the very start, drawing moving, hilarious, and emotional performances from them all. She also manages to capture Japan’s beauty expertly. At every turn, she makes the country a fully fledged member of the cast, turning it into something the film needs to convey the story. It is glorious. With her screenplay making the most of everyone and everything, Hikari delivers a movie that never fails to impress us. Although she has directed episodes of American TV series before, this is her first English-language feature film. However, it also contains a fair amount of Japanese, as you would expect. You would think she has been directing American films like this for longer, given the showing she provides here. It isn’t in the realms of impossibility that an Academy Award nomination could be forthcoming for the film.
VERDICT
Hikari’s Rental Family is a sweet, charming, and delightful comedy-drama that has Brendan Fraser deliver yet another winning performance. It’s a mix of comedy, drama, emotion, and sadness that makes the film a standout of the year in movies. At no time does it fail to entertain us, delivering a movie that sticks in our minds long after we have left the theater. Its use of the beautiful Japanese cities, countryside, and mountains is exquisite, making the film pop with visual flair. It is visually stunning, but wouldn’t have been so enjoyable without the cast giving their all in their roles. Thankfully, they do, making this a movie standout.
Though it is only a faint hope, the film could so easily pick up nominations for Brendan Fraser, Hikari, and Akira Emoto. They each deserve recognition for what they provide here. At the very least, they should be considered. While it may not be for the whole family, the film is inoffensive, fun, charming, and moving. It is a family film that will appeal more to adults than younger viewers. But that aside, the film deserves to find its audience, become a box office success, and become a firm favourite. This is entertainment that deserves to be seen and seen again. I believe it will. Sit back and prepare to be charmed by this brilliantly sweet tale. Just don’t forget, you’ll need tissues by the end.
Rental Family will be in theaters from Friday, courtesy of Searchlight Pictures.
Introducing Carl! As the News Editor at Future of the Force, Carl has been an invaluable member of our team since early 2016. His expertise and dedication have made him an integral part of our editorial staff. Beyond his professional role, Carl is a fervent supporter of Liverpool F.C. and an avid follower of pop culture. He has a deep passion for Halloween, Friday the 13th, and the iconic movie franchises Star Wars and Star Trek.
He can be found either at his neighborhood cinema, enjoying the latest releases on the big screen, or at home streaming the newest blockbuster movies.
