Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
If you’re lost, confused, with nobody to turn to, what if you could simply get yourself a rental family to cheer you on? What if it was easy to rent a person to play the part of a parent, lover, friend, or whoever it is that you need to fill an emotional need, or some sort of societal expectation, or maybe just be your plus one to an event? Because Japan has that service available, just like their popular rental boyfriend service. High five to those who spend too much time on YouTube and have seen Vloggers make ‘I rented a boyfriend for a day’ videos.
Created by Hikari and Stephen Blahut, the 2025 ‘Rental Family’ isn’t about a vlogger at all, instead it follows struggling actor Phillip Vanderploeg (Brendan Fraser), whose odd funeral gig as the token American leads to a full-time role at Shinji Tada’s (Takehiro Hira) firm, where employees are paid to play whatever role their clients need, within reason.
Living alone in Tokyo, Phillip continues to feel out of place, picking up bit roles and trying to get by. The rental family job changes things, with Shinji framing it as work that actually means something. It’s also the first time Phillip finds a sense of belonging, impressing Shinji and slowly winning over Aiko Nakajima (Mari Yamamoto) and Kota (Kimura Bun), both of whom are sceptical of him at first. Brendan Fraser is endearing, relatable, and easy to root for throughout the film’s runtime as the empathetic Phillip.
Whether he is stepping in as a father figure for a young girl or posing as a journalist to flatter an aging actor, Phillip takes on all kinds of roles as part of the rental family firm. Shinji frames it as helping people, but the deeper Phillip gets, the more he starts questioning the deception and the moral grayness of playing parts in the lives of clients who believe it is all real.
Shannon Mahina Gorman plays Mia Kawasaki, an adorable but feisty little girl whose mother needs a fake father for an interview at a top school. But instead of letting Mia in on the act, Hitomi Kawasaki (Shino Shinozaki) hires Philip to keep things real for her, hoping that getting to know her ‘father’ will give Mia a confidence boost and improve her overall performance.
‘Rental Family’ begins by highlighting the appeal, the comfort of having someone step into any role you need. But just when you think maybe the film over-romanticizes the concept, it illustrates that it’s escapism, a curated illusion sustained by money that’s bound to clear complications. And sometimes unsafe situations for those on the job.
Take Phillip’s rental family colleague Aiko Nakajima, who is often hired by cheating men to pose as their mistress and apologise to their wives. While she calls it one of their most popular services, it also shows how often she is made to carry the shame for someone else’s wrongdoing. Of course this is a very minor sub-plot in the story, but offers an interesting insight to just how questionable some roles can be.
One of Rental Family’s strongest emotional moments sees Phillip stepping beyond his role to help veteran actor Kikuo Hasegawa (Akira Emoto), taking him on a trip his daughter denied him. The situation spirals into tragi-comic consequences for Phillip, before landing on a heart-warming climax.
A friend described Rental Family as a “warm hug,” and it’s hard to disagree. The film moves effortlessly from Tokyo’s urban chaos to its serene rural landscapes, offering something new with each act. Whether he’s a friend, father, colleague, or journalist, Phillip’s shifting roles keep things engaging right till the end, leaving you with a quiet, satisfied smile. A few emotional turns feel a bit forced, but here the age old adage holds true: all’s well that ends well.
Rating: 9 on 10. You can rent ‘Rental Family’ on Prime Video.
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