In Rental Family, Brendan Fraser trades in Hollywood sets for the neon-lit streets of Tokyo — and the result is a heartfelt, offbeat journey into the world of paid companionship. The 2025 comedy-drama, directed by Hikari (37 Seconds, Beef) and co-written with Stephen Blahut, follows Fraser as a washed-up American actor desperate for work who stumbles into Japan’s rental family industry.
In this real-life business, clients hire actors to pose as missing figures in their lives — a father for a wedding, a boyfriend for a holiday, a friend to simply share a meal. Fraser’s character, initially drawn by the paycheck, soon discovers the emotional gravity of the job. Each role becomes more than performance; it’s a lifeline for someone navigating loneliness or loss.
The film’s Tokyo setting is more than a backdrop — it’s a cultural mirror. Through Fraser’s outsider perspective, Rental Family explores Japan’s unique customs around social roles and the quiet struggles beneath them. As he cycles through identities — loving dad, attentive partner, loyal friend — the boundaries between acting and authentic connection blur. This moral gray area becomes the emotional spine of the film: can a relationship born from performance still be real?
Alongside Fraser, the cast includes Mari Yamamoto, Takehiro Hira, Akira Emoto, and Shannon Gorman, each adding depth to the web of relationships that anchor the story. Hikari balances humor with poignancy, crafting moments that swing from laugh-out-loud absurdity to deeply moving intimacy.
Rental Family will make its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025 before arriving in U.S. theaters on November 21 via Searchlight Pictures. With its blend of comedy, drama, and cultural insight, it’s shaping up to be a unique meditation on identity, belonging, and the universal human desire to be seen — even if the connection starts as make-believe.
