Rental Family (2025)

The critic praises Hikari’s elegant direction and the tender performances, especially Brendan Fraser’s, calling it a beautiful, contemplative film with lovely messaging; highlights the insightful exploration of the rental family business and the character's cultural assimilation struggles.

The film is described as a supremely sweet and touching comic drama in which Brendan Fraser delivers an extraordinary performance as a man finding connection through rental family work, reflecting on loneliness.

The review frames the film as a gig-economy drama about the roles people play, praising Fraser's central turn while exploring the blurred lines between performance and reality in modern life.

The critic calls it an affable crowdpleaser led by Brendan Fraser's open, empathetic performance as the lonely actor who forms real bonds. It stays sunny and sentimental without fully exploring the darker moral complexities of the rental agency premise.

The review sees the film as an uneven but likable vehicle perfectly suited to Brendan Fraser, singling out his unique screen presence and the way the story mirrors his real-life career trajectory as its most compelling aspect.

Brendan Fraser radiates warmth and charm as the rent-a-dad in this gentle, feelgood tale of unlikely connections in Japan. The film raises intriguing topics around rental services and cultural clashes but shies away from deeper emotional or ethical exploration, remaining surface-level and neatly resolved.

The comedy-drama has charms despite being on the mawkish side, with Brendan Fraser delivering a tender performance as a man seeking connection. It singles out the strong supporting turns, especially from Shannon Mahina Gorman and Akira Emoto, while noting issues with white saviour territory and a too-neat ending.

The critic finds the film cloying and smug, faulting its overly sentimental approach to the rent-a-family premise and lack of psychological depth or nuance despite Fraser's sincere performance.

The review finds the film maudlin and unconvincing, with Fraser’s self-pitying performance dragging it down, though it has thoughtful moments; criticizes the tone and lack of humor.

The critic dismisses the film as mawkish and on-the-nose, complaining that it milks its premise for cheap humor and pathos while reducing supporting characters to props for the star's formulaic self-discovery arc.

The critic finds the film glib, silly and pointless, with Brendan Fraser a bland presence in a saccharine and implausible story about a rental family service. It is criticised for its complacent sentimentality and failure to meaningfully explore the premise.

The review calls the film awful and shamelessly mawkish, with Brendan Fraser frequently in an overly sentimental mode in a melodrama about pretend family members that makes little sense.

The critic notes the film is a gooey feelgood comedy-drama about emotional role-play in Tokyo, where Brendan Fraser's charm carries a story that some may find charming despite its sugar-coated approach to clashing cultures and human connection.

Brendan Fraser shines in an unconventional, endearing crowd-pleaser about a lost soul seeking connection. It singles out his affecting, unadorned performance and Hikari's thematic dexterity and visual acumen for praise.

The film feels underdeveloped but is saved by its thoughtful performances. It singles out Brendan Fraser's magnetic, goofy yet genuine turn and the bond with the young girl Mia for praise.

The critic calls it a charming surprise of a dramedy that balances poignancy and humor with rare delicacy, highlighting Brendan Fraser's superlative lead performance as the standout element.

The critic calls it a sweet and lyrical movie about finding human connection through Japan's real-life rental family services. Fraser delivers a soulful, understated performance in this gentle, humane comedy that the whole family can enjoy.

The film is a well-paced, thoughtful character study that balances drama with gentle comedy. Fraser delivers a standout unshowy performance that anchors the story of an outsider finding unexpected connections.

Fraser gives a tender, quietly funny performance in this bittersweet exploration of loneliness and connection. The film succeeds as a gently moving character study but retreats into sentimentality without fully confronting its deeper questions.

The film offers a tender, sweet drama anchored by Brendan Fraser's warm, gentle lead performance that plays perfectly to his strengths as a likable everyman. Hikari crafts a charming tone with strong supporting turns, but the screenplay stays light and could have explored the characters and their backstories in greater depth.

Fraser brings emotional depth to the role of an actor discovering purpose through rental family gigs in Tokyo. The film offers genuine tears through its sentimental tone but feels limited by its English-language perspective and casting choices.