Transactional relationships are given a positive spin in Hikari’s Rental Family, starring Brendan Fraser as Phillip Vanderploeg, an American actor living in Japan. Having arrived in Japan seven years ago for a popular toothpaste commercial, he has been struggling to get acting gigs ever since. So, when his agent calls with an offer to play a “sad American” he takes it, despite not having much information about the part. As it turns out, he’s been hired by a business called Rental Family, which hires actors to fulfill various roles for their clients – be it mourner at a funeral, guest at a wedding, companionship playing video games, friend, or family member. Although it may sound strange – as it does to Phillip initially, this is an actual business in Japan, where there are several hundred businesses that offer this type of service.
Increasing urban isolation, an emphasis on maintaining social harmony, and a stigma regarding mental health issues, leave many people isolated and lonely. While they might hesitate to reveal their feelings to co-workers and family, hiring such a service can serve to mask their problems, or, more optimistically, offer a sense of companionship and connection, at least temporarily. In the realm of comedy films the occasional need for fake family and friends has worked as a premise before – as in The Wedding Date (2005) and The Wedding Ringer (2015) – Rental Family hits similar sentimental notes, unlike Bernhard Wenger’s Peacock (2024) which digs deeper into exploring issues of identity and the performative aspect of relationships.
Brendan Fraser brings wide-eyed sincerity and sweetness to his portrayal of Phillip, who seems just as lonely as some of his clients, sitting alone in his small apartment at night, gazing at the bright windows of his neighbors. Although initially he has some doubts, eventually he comes around to agree with his employer Shinji Tada (Takehiro Hira) that they are performing an essential service. The downside is predictable – Phillip becomes attached to some of his clients, and the distinction between playing a role and real life becomes blurred.
The film raises problematic moral issues such as the dishonesty involved when some of the recipients of the service are not aware that a service has been hired, but moves blithely past them to arrive at a reassuring closure. Vivid images of Tokyo and a lively cast help make this a fun, feel-good film. Mari Yamamoto delivers a strong performance as Aiko, Phillip’s co-worker, who brings a sense of responsibility and conscience to her work, Shannon Mahina Gorman is a bright presence as Mia, a young girl whose mother is trying to get her into a prestigious school, and Tamae Andô is charming as a friendly prostitute.
Rental Family
Director: Hikari; Screenplay; Hikari, Stephen Blahut; Cinematography: Takuro Ishizaka; Editors: Alan Baumgarten, Thomas A. Krueger; Music: Jónsi & Alex Somers; Cast: Brendan Fraser, Takehiro Hira, Mari Yamamoto, Shannon Mahina Gorman, Tamae Andô.
