The Rental
Reviews
Manuel São Bento
If you enjoy reading my Spoiler-Free reviews, please follow my blog @ https://www.msbreviews.com The Rental is Dave Franco’s debut as both director and screenwriter of a feature film. Making a successful horror movie was never an easy task, but I believe it’s even harder nowadays. This genre has evolved in so many ways by delving into distinct subgenres and helping new directors deliver brilliant horror stories. Of course, every year has dozens of awful horror films, and most of the “Worst Movies of the Year” lists possess more than one horror flick. However, I firmly defend horror is reaching audiences like never before, and I genuinely believe that it’s a matter of time until a Best Picture award goes to this genre. So, is The Rental one of the better ones or not so much? Well, it’s as “okay” as it can be. I find it hard to heavily criticize a film that doesn’t really give me much to actually analyze. It’s a straightforward story with barely any complexity. Four characters with clear yet generic motivations. Their relationships and how they handle each romantic bond is surprisingly the most interesting aspect of the movie. Still, besides being somewhat predictable, it seems more captivating than what it truly is because one particular screenplay element fails to deliver a compelling narrative. The main (and honestly, only) horror component of the story is no more than a hollow attempt at creating a franchise. Now, there’s nothing wrong with teasing an overarching story in the first film of a saga, but if this tease plays the entire horror role, then the only feeling Franco is getting from the audience is disappointment. Viewers might look forward to jumpscares and creepy sequences, but if the questions the movie makes are left unanswered, chances are people will dislike the ambiguity. I’d be interested in a sequel because this first film creates a really intriguing mystery that I’d love to see developed and eventually solved. However, this comes at the cost of sacrificing the latter flick since it basically uses the whole runtime to introduce the overarching character/element. The Rental follows the usual “friends in a vacation house where things are not what they seem” formula, which doesn’t really set up Franco as a horror director to follow closely. He shows a bit of skill, the uneasy atmosphere is well-established, and he lets the actors play off their dialogues without too many cuts, something I deeply enjoy. Technically, it’s quite good, to be honest. It’s a very dark movie, but I could see everything clearly, which is usually a problem in this type of horror film. The third act might be partially a letdown, but its execution holds the necessary tension and suspense. Dan Stevens and Sheila Vand deliver two great performances, showing remarkable chemistry. Alison Brie and Jeremy Allen White are also good, but the previous duo steals the spotlight. I wish it had more horror-like sequences, even though I appreciate the focus on the character’s relationships and dynamics. All in all, The Rental is a clear attempt at creating a new horror franchise, and honestly, it partially works. If “success” means getting the viewers interested in a sequel, then mission accomplished. However, sacrificing the first movie of a possible saga to just introduce its main horror element doesn’t quite work as Dave Franco might have thought. In his directorial debut, Franco focuses on the characters and their relationships, which are undoubtedly the most captivating aspects of the film, also thanks to a fantastic cast. Despite some neat technical attributes, the formulaic screenplay and its predictable developments are far from being entertaining enough to hold my attention. The dozens of unanswered questions definitely leave an open door to produce a genuinely compelling sequel, but this first installment will always feel more like a prologue than an actual movie. If you’re just looking for a simple horror flick to spend your extra time, this one won’t surprise you, but it might be a good, inoffensive Saturday night pick. Rating: C
tmdb28039023
Sometimes bad things happen to good people, and sometimes they happen to horrible people, like the characters in The Rental – the rare horror film where identifying with the killer isn't morally reprehensible. Charlie (Dan Stevens), his wife Michelle (Alison Brie), Charlie's brother Josh (Jeremy Allen White), and Josh's girlfriend Mina (Sheila Vand ), decide to rent a beachfront house for a weekend getaway. Charlie, Michelle and Mina are successful professionals; Josh is dumber than a rock. How dumb is Josh? At one point he says he just got a "weird text message" and proceeds to play a voicemail. This must have been intentional; otherwise it's writers Joe Swanberg and Dave Franco (who also directs) who are dumb, and based on their movie they're anything but. Brie is as effective here as she was in a very different role in Horse Girl, and Toby Huss, who plays the house owner's brother, and who is known mostly for his work in comedy (nerds like me will remember him as Artie, the world's strongest man, in The Adventures of Pete & Pete), is surprisingly chilling – although he isn't the 'monster;' he is actually a victim of real-life monsters: hipsters who knowingly bring pets to a rented house even though pets are not allowed; who play the 'race card' when things don't go their way; who are almost forty years of age but still drop acid; who have no control over their sexual urges; who believe that being able to beat the tar out of someone means they are in the right; and so on so forth. With the exceptions of Brie's and Huss's characters, it's hard to feel sorry for the people in the movie. And now, as The Rock would say, here are the damn veggies. There is a not-very-mysterious mystery at the end of The Rental. The killer wears a mask, and even though he takes it off at some point, we never see his face; this doesn't really matter because his face wouldn't tell us anything we don't already know. The Law of Economy of Characters says that no movie introduces a character unnecessarily, and a simple process of elimination pinpoints Huss's character's brother as the killer – what with him being the only living person with full access to the house and all. Now, since this character is mentioned but never seen, showing us his face at the end would be like, meh. The reason I mention all this is because, in the final moments of The Rental, I couldn't shake the sinking feeling that even before the film was over its makers were already thinking about the inevitable sequel. All in good time, boys; all in good time.
Movie Recommendation
What Keeps You Alive2018-08-24Majestic mountains, a still lake and venomous betrayals engulf a married couple attempting to celebrate their first anniversary.More...
Open 24 Hours2018-08-27After setting her serial killer boyfriend on fire, a paranoid delusional woman gets a job at an all-night gas station. The isolation triggers her anxiety and hallucinations, with devastatingly gory results.More...
9/11: Inside the President's War Room2021-08-31Experience the events of September 11, 2001 through the eyes of President Bush and his closest advisors as they personally detail the crucial hours and key decisions from that historic day.More...
Ferro2020-11-06One of the most famous Italian singers opens up about his music and his journey through love and addiction.More...
Barbarian Queen1985-11-30Set during the days of the Roman Empire. A simple village is raided by Roman troops, and most of the people are whisked off to be slaves or killed. Three women survive and set off to liberate their people. When they arrive at the Roman city, they team up with the local underground to seek vengeance and liberation of the slavesMore...
MOTHER2020-07-03Shuhei is leading a tough life. His alcoholic mother Akiko can only hook up with bad guys and order Shuhei to go get money from his disapproving grandparents instead of going to school. Except raising the little half-sister, his rock-bottom life seems to have no end.More...
When Mom Is Away... With the In-laws2025-01-23After the phenomenal success of the first two films, “When Mom is Away” and “When Mom is Away… With the Family,” the adventures of the Rovelli family continue! This time, they’re heading to Puglia, where their eldest daughter, Camilla, is moving to attend university with her boyfriend, Antonio.More...
A Killer Among Friends1992-12-08A teenage girl disappears and later turns up drowned, with a log across her back. Three years later, a former friend comes forward with some answers.More...
The Ugly Duckling1939-04-07An outcast duckling's search for a family to accept him leads to constant rejection before learning his true identity as a swan.More...
Weekend2020-12-17A bunch of friends stuck in a mountain shelter during a snowstorm on a weekend. They will find out that the only way to be safe is to solve a disturbing mistery that involves all of them: finding out who in the past, has committed a terrible crime. Amid shocking and unexpected revelations, they will come to doubt each other.More...
The Dead Girl2006-11-07The clues to a young woman's death come together as the lives of seemingly unrelated people begin to intersect.More...
Ravage2020-08-14When a nature photographer explains to the Police how she fought her way out of the Watchatoomy Valley, they dismiss her crazed and violent story as a meth-induced nightmare. But when they discover that she's telling the truth, it's too late.More...
Serial Cook2018-02-16Meet Neslihan. A perfect cook, an expert on Turkish cuisine, strictly loyal to her husband, an impeccable house wife ...and a serial killer.More...
Restricted Area2020-07-301989, 180 km from Chernobyl. 4 guys and 2 girls, traveling by the river, swim in the resettlement zone. By chance, because of them, a person hiding in an abandoned village dies, and in the hands of the guys is a bag with a large amount of money...More...
Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker2012-02-11In the land of Orlais, a brash young Seeker—Cassandra—fights to stop a blood-soaked conspiracy. Hidden hands seek to tear apart the realm's most powerful religious order, and as the sinister plot unfolds, Cassandra is accused of treason and murder. Hunted by friend and foe alike, the impulsive beauty must clear her name while clashing with corrupt templars and rogue blood mages. Should she fail, the executioner’s blade awaits. Should she overcome her rage and expose the unseen forces threatening the rule of the Divine, Cassandra will take her place in legend.More...
A Farewell to Arms1932-12-08A tale of the World War I love affair, begun in Italy, between American ambulance driver Lt. Frederic Henry and British nurse Catherine Barkley. Eventually separated by Frederic's transfer, tremendous challenges and difficult decisions face each as the war rages on.More...
Guilt2020-09-15Angered by all the child abuse in the world, a child psychologist goes vigilante, targeting child sex offenders who escaped severe sentences.More...
Leopardi. The Infinity Poet2024-08-28Showcases the life of Giacomo Leopardi, an Italian poet known for his melancholic verses on fleeting happiness, existentialism, and human suffering.More...
My Internship in Canada2015-10-02Guibord is an independent Member of Parliament who represents Prescott-Makadewà-Rapides-aux Outardes, a vast county in Northern Quebec. As the entire country watches, Guibord unwillingly finds himself in the awkward position of holding the decisive vote to determine whether Canada will go to war. Accompanied by his wife, his daughter and an idealistic intern from Haiti named Sovereign, Guibord travels across his district in order to consult his constituents. While groups of lobbyists get involved in a debate that spins out of control, the MP will have to face his own conscience. 'My Internship in Canada' is a biting political satire in which politicians, citizens and lobbyists go head-to-head tearing democracy to shreds. Film starring Suzanne Clément, Patrick Huard and Mardy MenMore...
Girlfriend2010-09-12A young man with Down's Syndrome romantically pursues a small town single mom who is still mixed up with her volatile ex-boyfriend.More...
Similar Movies
Diamonds Are Forever
1971-12-14Diamonds are stolen only to be sold again in the international market. James Bond infiltrates a smuggling mission to find out who's guilty. The mission takes him to Las Vegas where Bond meets his archenemy Blofeld.The Spy Who Loved Me
1977-07-07Russian and British submarines with nuclear missiles on board both vanish from sight without a trace. England and Russia both blame each other as James Bond tries to solve the riddle of the disappearing ships. But the KGB also has an agent on the case.Clown Motel: Spirits ...
2019-06-11A group of "Ghost Hunters" coming back from an old ghost town and a bachelorette party returning home from Las Vegas stumble across the "Clown Motel" located in the middle of nowhere. Though no one is there to greet them, the two groups decide to stay for the evening. After a wild night of partying, they awake to find their vehicles sabotaged, leaving them stranded, left to discover if this motel is truly abandoned, or if it is home to souls of the clowns who once lived there.Priest of Evil
2010-10-29Detective sergeant Timo Harjunpää of the Helsinki Violent Crime Unit loses his daughter in a tragic way. Despite the support of his closest colleague, Constable Onerva Nykänen, Harjunpää is unable to recover from the loss of his family. He seeks revenge against his daughter's killer, while in his work he investigates strange deaths in the Helsinki metro that turn out to be the work of a serial killer.Hangout
2016-12-22After nine celebrities accept an invitation to visit a remote island, they find themselves trapped with a mysterious killer hunting them down.Psycho
1960-06-22When larcenous real estate clerk Marion Crane goes on the lam with a wad of cash and hopes of starting a new life, she ends up at the notorious Bates Motel, where manager Norman Bates cares for his housebound mother.Absolut
2005-04-20Two guys against globalization want to plant a virus in the network of a finance corporation. On the day of the attack Alex has an accident and cannot remember anything. Visions and reality are thrown together in a confusing maze. Alex tries to escape from this muddle but what he discovers turns out to be rather frightening…Die Hard
1988-07-15NYPD cop John McClane's plan to reconcile with his estranged wife is thrown for a serious loop when, minutes after he arrives at her offices Christmas Party, the entire building is overtaken by a group of terrorists. With little help from the LAPD, wisecracking McClane sets out to single-handedly rescue the hostages and bring the bad guys down.Rear Window
1954-08-01A wheelchair-bound photographer spies on his neighbors from his apartment window and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder.Next Door
2005-03-11After Ingrid leaves John, he allows himself to be pulled into a mystical and scary world where it is impossible to separate truth from lies.Frenzy
1972-05-25London is terrorized by a vicious sex killer known as The Necktie Murderer. Following the brutal slaying of his ex-wife, down-on-his-luck Richard Blaney is suspected by the police of being the killer. He goes on the run, determined to prove his innocence.Angel Heart
1987-03-06A down-and-out Brooklyn detective is hired to track down a singer on an odyssey that will take him through the desperate streets of Harlem, the smoke-filled jazz clubs of New Orleans, and the swamps of Louisiana and its seedy underworld of voodoo.Lost Highway
1997-01-15A tormented jazz musician finds himself lost in an enigmatic story involving murder, surveillance, gangsters, doppelgängers, and an impossible transformation inside a prison cell.Vengeance
2019-09-13Fearing the worst when their father goes missing, Angelica and Ashley Jarvis team up with a Jason Vorhees expert to find their missing father before it is too late.Scream 7
2026-02-25The seventh installment in the 'Scream' franchise. Plot TBA.The Big Sleep
1946-08-23Private Investigator Philip Marlowe is hired by wealthy General Sternwood regarding a matter involving his youngest daughter Carmen. Before the complex case is over, Marlowe sees murder, blackmail, deception, and what might be love.Blood: The Last Vampi...
2000-11-18In Japan, the vampire-hunter Saya, who is a powerful original, is sent by her liaison with the government, David, posed as a teenage student to the Yokota High School on the eve of Halloween to hunt down vampires. Saya asks David to give a new katana to her. Soon she saves the school nurse Makiho Amano from two vampires disguised of classmates and Makiho witnesses her fight against the powerful demon.Halloween
1978-10-24Fifteen years after murdering his sister on Halloween Night 1963, Michael Myers escapes from a mental hospital and returns to the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois to kill again.Mission: Impossible I...
2006-04-25Retired from active duty, and training recruits for the Impossible Mission Force, agent Ethan Hunt faces the toughest foe of his career: Owen Davian, an international broker of arms and information, who's as cunning as he is ruthless. Davian emerges to threaten Hunt and all that he holds dear – including the woman Hunt loves.The Maltese Falcon
1941-10-18A private detective takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a beautiful liar, and their quest for a priceless statuette.