brendan fraser Stars in 'Rental Family' — Streaming Debut and Home Release Details
Brendan Fraser delivers a quietly affecting turn as an American actor adrift in Tokyo in the tender dramedy Rental Family, which begins streaming on Wednesday, Feb. 18 (ET). The film, directed by Japanese filmmaker Hikari, tracks a lonely expat whose work as a hired stand-in for strangers forces him to confront identity, belonging and the limits of performance.
What the film is about and Fraser’s role
Fraser plays Phillip Vandarpleog, a onetime commercial mascot turned expatriate who has spent seven years in Tokyo searching for purpose. Phillip’s life shifts when he answers an acting call for a rental family service — a real-life industry in which actors are hired to play spouses, parents, siblings or friends for clients who need temporary companionship or social cover. As the assignments deepen, the line between role and reality blurs, and Phillip finds himself emotionally invested in the people he’s hired to mimic.
The film balances comedy and melancholy, using the rental-family premise to examine loneliness, cultural dislocation and how empathy can dislodge even the most guarded hearts. Fraser’s performance has been described by critics as warm and nimble, a low-key showcase of his range that leans into both awkwardness and tenderness.
Release timeline: theatrical, digital, streaming and physical
Rental Family premiered in theaters on Nov. 21 (ET) and later became available to buy or rent on major digital storefronts on Jan. 13 (ET). Fans who prefer subscription viewing will see the film arrive on streaming on Wednesday, Feb. 18 (ET) a U. S. subscription streaming service and its bundled partner. For collectors and viewers who prefer physical media, 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD editions are set to arrive on Feb. 17 (ET), with bonus material expected to include behind-the-scenes features and deleted scenes.
Those tracking the film’s availability should note the staggered rollout: theatrical exhibition first, followed by digital purchase and rental, then streaming for subscribers, and finally the physical discs. This sequencing gives audiences multiple ways to see the film depending on preference and timing.
Critical reaction and context
Early reviews have been favorable. One reviewer awarded the film three-and-a-half out of four stars, calling it an "outstanding, feel-good" melding of Eastern and Western sensibilities that handles loneliness and found family with care. The movie has already surfaced on several year-end lists, cited as an entertaining character study that doubles as a moving look at human connection.
Not all critics framed the film as entirely original; some pointed to an earlier, more formal exploration of role-playing and identity in other contemporary cinema. Still, most commentary celebrates the movie for its emotional clarity and for giving Fraser a role that emphasizes subtlety over spectacle.
Whether you seek a heartwarming character piece or an exploration of modern isolation, Rental Family positions Brendan Fraser at the center of a story about empathy’s capacity to remake a life. With multiple viewing options now available and the streaming debut arriving on Feb. 18 (ET), the film is positioned to reach audiences who missed it in theaters as well as those who prefer to discover it on demand.
