Discover a heartfelt story of empathy and human connection when Searchlight Pictures’ Rental Family begins streaming on Disney+ on 15 April.
Set in modern-day Tokyo, Rental Family stars Academy Awards®–winning Brendan Fraser as a once-promising American actor searching for purpose and belonging in a society where he feels increasingly adrift. An unexpected acting call leads him to a “rental family” agency, where he is hired to step into surrogate roles for strangers seeking connection. As performance blurs into reality, the experience awakens his empathy and compassion, drawing him deeply into his clients’ lives and pulling him off-script whenever his heart takes over.
Catch the film’s trailer in the player below:
In our five-star review of the film Matt says “Rental Family is a bright and loud reminder that simply being there for somebody is a powerful act of compassion, proving that even a rented connection can lead to real, permanent connection.“
Searchlight Pictures’ Rental Family from HIKARI has captured the hearts of audiences and critics alike. Following its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, it went on to win numerous festival audience awards including at the Chicago, Woodstock, Middleburg, Hawaii and Heartland Film Festivals. The film was praised as “universally resonant” (Clayton Davis, Variety) and “poignant and humorous” (Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter).
Set in modern-day Tokyo, Rental Family follows an American actor (Brendan Fraser) who struggles to find purpose until he lands an unusual gig: working for a Japanese “rental family” agency, playing stand-in roles for strangers. As he immerses himself in his clients’ worlds, he begins to form genuine bonds that blur the lines between performance and reality. Confronting the moral complexities of his work, he rediscovers purpose, belonging, and the quiet beauty of human connection.
Directed, co-written and produced by HIKARI, Rental Family also stars Emmy® nominee Takehiro Hira, Mari Yamamoto, newcomer Shannon Mahina Gorman, who was nominated for a CCA Award for her performance in the film, and iconic actor Akira Emoto. With a screenplay by HIKARI and Stephen Blahut, the film is produced by Sight Unseen Pictures’ Eddie Vaisman and Julia Lebedev, as well as Knockonwood’s Shin Yamaguchi.
