Director Hikari (Beef, Tokyo Vice) reflects on modern loneliness through human rental agencies
There are currently 300 people rental companies operating in Japan. Japanese filmmaker Hikari (Beef, Tokyo Vice) uses this phenomenon, which emerged in Japan in the 1980s, as the starting point for a moving reflection on loneliness in today’s society, starring Brendan Fraser (Oscar winner for The Whale). Rental Family will premiere in Spain in the Official Out of Competition Section of the 70th edition of the Valladolid International Film Festival (SEMINCI), which will be
held from 24 October to 1 November.
The film follows an American actor (Brendan Fraser) who has been working in Tokyo for seven years after starring in a successful toothpaste commercial. When work becomes scarce, he finds employment at an agency that markets something intangible: human presence. They rent companions for those who need a partner at social events, support in work situations, a fake family member, or simply a listening ear to ease the burden of loneliness.
From attending a funeral where the deceased is still alive to pretending to be a journalist interviewing a veteran actor on behalf of his daughter, Rental Family exploits the unusual premise with comical and touching consequences. Especially when the protagonist must pretend to be a father to a little girl to get her into a prestigious school. The decisions he makes, with his heart on his sleeve, lead him to face problems with the clients who have hired him, while he rethinks his beliefs about human relationships and what it really means to be part of a family. He thus embarks on an unexpected journey of self-discovery through the roles he plays in other people’s lives.‘In a big city like Tokyo, you can feel very isolated.
“Everyone I spoke to was looking for connection,” explains Hikari, who attributes the boom in this business to modern loneliness and the lack of access to mental health services in Japan. The director made her debut in 2019 with
the feature film 37 Seconds, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival, where it won the Panorama Audience Award and the CICAE Award. On television, she directed the pilot episode of the eight-time Emmy Award-winning series Beef and several episodes of Tokyo Vice, produced by Michael Mann.
Brendan Fraser’s physical and emotional performance is at the heart of the film, which premiered worldwide at the Toronto Film Festival. The star of comedies such as George of the Jungle and The Mummy adventure series has once again, following his Oscar-winning role in The Whale, chosen a character that allows him to demonstrate his ability to explore vulnerable and complex characters. He is joined in the cast by Takehiro Hira (Shōgun), Mari Yamamoto (Pachinko, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters), veteran Akira Emoto (Dr. Akagi) and newcomer Mahina Gorman.
The film, produced by Searchlight Pictures in association with TSG Entertainment, is distributed by Buena Vista International Spain (Disney) and opens in Spain on 9 January 2026.