Brendan Fraser stars in the “beautifully made” film that made viewers “question how we see life”.
Rental Family, which is now available to stream on Disney+ and stars Shogun actor Takehiro Hira, follows an American actor who is struggling to find purpose after moving to Japan.
Brendan stars as Phillip Vanderploeg who joins an agency in Tokyo called Rental Family, which provides actors to play stand-in family members.
From funeral attendants to stepfathers, Phillip is hired for a number of roles but he slowly begins to form a genuine bond with some of the people he is hired by.
Phillip must decide if he wants to continue working for the agency or return to acting jobs.
View 3 ImagesBrendan stars as Phillip Vanderploeg who joins an agency in Tokyo called Rental Family
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Posting about the film on Reddit, one viewer shared: “I’ve just watched it today. I am an older person, however this did kick me in the feels. Wonderfully shot, beautifully made. Make the time to see it.
“It’s a slow burner however it did make me think about life and how we see it.
“It made me feel like something is missing in my own life. Maybe for the good or not, i don’t know. Just take out some time and watch.”
View 3 ImagesViewers have said Rental Family left them ‘ugly crying’
Replying, another viewer penned: “I didn’t expect to ugly cry during this one, but I did. I thought it was supposed to be a sweet heartwarming comedy.”
“Loved the film. Great acting all round. Such a heartfelt, funny and touching film. Absolutely loved the cinematography, and the score was sublime,” someone else added.
A third continued: “Just watched Rental Family today. It is an underrated film in my opinion. I was impressed by the storytelling, themes, and character development, and all of that in under 2 hours. Wow!”
The film, which debuted in 2025, has a rating of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes.
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Rental Family is available to stream on Disney+