Brendan Fraser stars in 'Rental Family', a new film from Japanese director Hikari that has been heavily criticised for its sentimentality and lack of substance. The film follows Phillip, a hapless American actor living in Tokyo who works for a company offering therapeutic role-play services, a real concept in Japan.
Critics have described the film as 'silly and pointless', noting that it fails to explore the ethical complexities of its premise. Fraser's performance is labelled 'bland and ingratiating', while the film's tone is criticised for turning a potentially dark subject into 'feelgood slush'.
The plot involves Phillip posing as a father for a young girl and as a son for an elderly actor, both scenarios raising questions about deception and emotional harm. The film has been compared unfavourably to Werner Herzog's 'Family Romance, LLC' and Yorgos Lanthimos's 'Alps', which handled similar themes with more nuance.
Reviewers have pointed out a 'serious tonal problem', with the film offering vacuous platitudes about role-playing rather than engaging with the real-world implications of its story. The ending, in which Phillip apologises to the girl but not the older actor, has been singled out as particularly wrong-headed.
