Rental Family

Brendan Fraser plays an American actor who has been living in Tokyo for 7 years. His career has not been a success, doing things like toothpaste commercials. A chance gig has him connected with Rental Family, a business that rents out fake family members, friends, apologetic mistresses, etc. There are roles that specifically require a white man. His 1st official task is to play bridegroom, getting married to a young woman, who then can leave her family, ostensibly to go with him to Canada, but in fact for her to be with her lesbian lover.

In between other short-term roles, a couple of several-weeks continuing roles come up. One is to be a friend to an aging actor, under cover of being a journalist who wants to write his life story. Another is to play the long-lost father of a young girl, whose mother is trying to get into a good school, but believes that a single parent will not be acceptable. In both cases, the hiring client is not the subject of the relationship, so his acting skills are called upon. However, he gets emotionally attached, and complications ensue.

I saw this film at the World Premiere series of screenings at Toronto International Film Festival, with director Q+A. It seems that rental families are a real business in Japan, especially in Tokyo, where people are lonely, and psychotherapy is not easily available and socially disdained. Some businesses specialize in particular aspects, while others (like in the film) are generalists. Also, there are shrines around Tokyo, where, for a small offering, strangers can go to pray and meditate.

The situations are heartfelt, and Fraser does a good job playing the actor who is conflicted by playing a fake role in real people's lives. Recommended for those who are interested in a glimpse of the underbelly of Japanese culture.

Almost a perfect movie, I absolutely loved it. I knew nothing about the movie going in, and it was so much fun thinking about the moral implications of what was going on, and thinking about the choices the characters make and about how things would unfold over the course of the movie. The movie has no weak spots in my eyes, I would have changed almost nothing about the film, and I don't want to give anything away so I wont mention what I would have changed but the movie is still a wow from me and wholly earns a 10/10 score.

There are moments in life when a stranger can make you feel more understood than someone you've known for years - and sometimes that connection comes from the most unexpected places.

That's the feeling this film left me with.

Rental Family dives into Japan's rental-service industry-something that often gets misunderstood or written off as "strange" by people who aren't familiar with Japanese culture. But instead of treating it like a curiosity, Rental Family shows something deeper: the quiet emotional needs people have, the parts of themselves they can't openly reveal, and how rental services become a safe space to express those hidden truths.

There are situations where people can't show their true selves - not because they're emotionless, but because the cultural pressure to maintain harmony or meet expectations is incredibly strong. And when you can't openly express who you are or what you need, it becomes hard to feel seen or understood, even by the people closest to you.

Rental Family shows how these services can sometimes offer a rare, quietly powerful alternative - a way for someone to experience honesty, support, or connection in circumstances where they simply can't reveal the full truth to their real family or community. It's not about deception. It's about finding comfort, dignity, or emotional safety in a world where not everyone has the freedom to live openly, the way they wish for or is expected of them.

Brendan Fraser plays a foreigner living in Japan who speaks the language yet still doesn't quite fit in-a feeling many expats know all too well, including myself. He's unfulfilled at work, chasing purpose without even realizing what he's actually looking for. And then he's presented with a job he doesn't understand, nearly rejects, and ultimately discovers himself through. The fulfillment he finds doesn't come from success, money, or accolades, but from emotional connection in one of the most unconventional places. And that's the beauty of the movie.

It also reminded me of my own time in Japan. When I first arrived, new to the country and with very few friends, I actually looked into renting a boyfriend for my birthday-not as a joke, not out of desperation, but because the idea felt comforting. As someone who couldn't celebrate with anyone, it sounded like a brilliant way to create a meaningful memory. The agency told me the guy I chose wasn't available on the actual day, so it didn't happen. But I still think the concept is wonderful for people who need connection when they don't have access to it.

And then there are host clubs. They get a bad reputation, and I'm not promoting them, but taken the right way, they can give people a sense of warmth or companionship they may be missing - whether they're single, far from home, or simply craving connection in a safe, controlled environment. It's another one of those very Japan-specific situations that looks unusual from the outside but makes a surprising amount of emotional sense once you understand the culture.

Because the truth is this: everyone wants to feel seen, accepted, and understood - but in Japan, expressing those needs openly isn't always easy. Cultural expectations, social harmony, and family pressures can make honesty complicated. So these rental services become a rare, structured space where people can access feelings they can't show in their everyday lives. A quiet bridge between what they can't reveal and what they still deeply need.

That's what the film captures so beautifully: that beneath the surface - beneath the politeness, the social expectations, the silence - people still carry the same longing for connection that all of us do.

And that's why this film is worth watching.

By the way, I saw this at the pre-premiere screening - and the full release is on November 21st.

If you want a nuanced, heartfelt insight into a uniquely Japanese corner of human connection, go see this movie.

As someone less familiar with Japanese filmography beyond a watch of the recent hit, Shogun, this was refreshingly different, but not in an unapproachable way; the friendly face of Brendan Fraser provides an instant point of recognition for westerners such as myself. Throughout this two-hour journey, the audience are given insight into the many joys and throws of modern Japanese culture, whether it comes from cleverly written emotional dialogue or visual cues such as the Monster Cat Festival - yet the film is far from an oversimplification of modern Japan - as Takehiro Hira says in an opening sequence, you could live in Tokyo for 100s of years and still not uncover all of its secrets. Director Hikari builds upon this cultural foundation with a poignant and hilarious emotional odyssey, featuring gut-wrenching moments of pain juxtaposed by much needed comedic relief. Neither sides are done cheaply - although the plot is generally predictable, it does not need to be complex; the writing is intelligent enough by itself. I thoroughly look forward to the film's general release, when I will be attending again for a second viewing!

It was going to happen at some point that someone turns this real life industry into a major film. The Japanese rental family introduces all kinds of moral issues.

Brendan Fraser's Philip is a struggling American actor in Tokyo. He doesn't buy into being a fake husband, father, journalist, or friend easily. He properly conveys the moral weight of the rental family while making the best of this situation.

This is potentially heavy material, Yes people's lives are affected, often for the better and sometimes for the worse, but it's handled in a lighthearted engaging way.

It may feel cliché the way things ultimately unravel but this is a smartly made film that leaves you with something to think about.