Rental Family
Updated: 12/20/2025, 2:29:35 PM Wikipedia source
Rental Family is a 2025 comedy-drama film directed by Hikari, who co-wrote the script with Stephen Blahut. The film stars Brendan Fraser as an American actor based in Japan who begins working for a rental family agency, where he fills in hired roles for strangers. Takehiro Hira, Mari Yamamoto, Shannon Mahina Gorman, and Akira Emoto also star in the film. An international co-production between the United States and Japan, the film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2025, and was released in the United States by Searchlight Pictures on November 21, 2025. Rental Family received positive reviews from critics, who praised Fraser's performance. The National Board of Review named it as one of the top ten films of 2025.
Infobox
Directed by
Hikari
Written by
mw- Hikari Stephen Blahut
Produced by
Eddie Vaisman Julia Lebedev Hikari Shin Yamaguchi
Starring
Brendan Fraser Takehiro Hira Mari Yamamoto Shannon Mahina Gorman Akira Emoto
Cinematography
Takurô Ishizaka
Edited by
Alan BaumgartenThomas A. Krueger
Music by
Jónsi Alex Somers
Productioncompanies
Sight Unseen Productions Domo Arigato Productions
Distributed by
Searchlight Pictures
Release dates
September 6, 2025 (2025-09-06) (TIFF) November 21, 2025 (2025-11-21) (United States)
Running time
110 minutes
Countries
United States Japan
Languages
English Japanese
Box office
$10 million
Tables
· Reception › Accolades
AARP Movies for Grownups Awards
AARP Movies for Grownups Awards
Award
AARP Movies for Grownups Awards
Date of ceremony
January 10, 2026
Category
Best Intergenerational Film
Nominee(s)
Rental Family
Result
Pending
Astra Film Awards
Astra Film Awards
Award
Astra Film Awards
Date of ceremony
January 9, 2026
Category
Best Actor – Comedy or Musical
Nominee(s)
Brendan Fraser
Result
Pending
Best Original Screenplay
Best Original Screenplay
Award
Best Original Screenplay
Date of ceremony
Hikari and Stephen Blahut
Category
Pending
Best Young Performer
Best Young Performer
Award
Best Young Performer
Date of ceremony
Shannon Mahina Gorman
Category
Pending
Celebration of Asian Pacific Cinema and Television
Celebration of Asian Pacific Cinema and Television
Award
Celebration of Asian Pacific Cinema and Television
Date of ceremony
November 14, 2025
Category
Director Award
Nominee(s)
Hikari
Result
Won
Chicago International Film Festival
Chicago International Film Festival
Award
Chicago International Film Festival
Date of ceremony
October 21, 2025
Category
Spotlight Award
Nominee(s)
Won
Critics' Choice Movie Awards
Critics' Choice Movie Awards
Award
Critics' Choice Movie Awards
Date of ceremony
January 4, 2026
Category
Best Young Actor/Actress
Nominee(s)
Shannon Mahina Gorman
Result
Pending
Hollywood Music in Media Awards
Hollywood Music in Media Awards
Award
Hollywood Music in Media Awards
Date of ceremony
November 19, 2025
Category
Score – Independent Film
Nominee(s)
Jónsi and Alex Somers
Result
Nominated
Middleburg Film Festival
Middleburg Film Festival
Award
Middleburg Film Festival
Date of ceremony
October 20, 2025
Category
Narrative Feature Audience Award
Nominee(s)
Rental Family
Result
Won
National Board of Review
National Board of Review
Award
National Board of Review
Date of ceremony
December 3, 2025
Category
Top 10 Films
Nominee(s)
Won
Savannah Film Festival
Savannah Film Festival
Award
Savannah Film Festival
Date of ceremony
October 29, 2025
Category
Outstanding Achievement in Cinema Award
Nominee(s)
Brendan Fraser
Result
Won
November 3, 2025
November 3, 2025
Award
November 3, 2025
Date of ceremony
Audience Award
Category
Rental Family
Nominee(s)
Runner-up
Seattle Film Critics Society
Seattle Film Critics Society
Award
Seattle Film Critics Society
Date of ceremony
December 15, 2025
Category
Best Youth Performance
Nominee(s)
Shannon Mahina Gorman
Result
Nominated
Society of Composers & Lyricists
Society of Composers & Lyricists
Award
Society of Composers & Lyricists
Date of ceremony
February 6, 2026
Category
Outstanding Original Score for an Independent Film
Nominee(s)
Jónsi and Alex Somers
Result
Pending
Virginia Film Festival
Virginia Film Festival
Award
Virginia Film Festival
Date of ceremony
October 26, 2025
Category
Breakthrough Director Award
Nominee(s)
Hikari
Result
Won
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards
Award
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards
Date of ceremony
December 7, 2025
Category
Best Youth Performance
Nominee(s)
Shannon Mahina Gorman
Result
Nominated
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
| AARP Movies for Grownups Awards | January 10, 2026 | Best Intergenerational Film | Rental Family | Pending | |
| Astra Film Awards | January 9, 2026 | Best Actor – Comedy or Musical | Brendan Fraser | Pending | |
| Best Original Screenplay | Hikari and Stephen Blahut | Pending | |||
| Best Young Performer | Shannon Mahina Gorman | Pending | |||
| Celebration of Asian Pacific Cinema and Television | November 14, 2025 | Director Award | Hikari | Won | |
| Chicago International Film Festival | October 21, 2025 | Spotlight Award | Won | ||
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | January 4, 2026 | Best Young Actor/Actress | Shannon Mahina Gorman | Pending | |
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | November 19, 2025 | Score – Independent Film | Jónsi and Alex Somers | Nominated | |
| Middleburg Film Festival | October 20, 2025 | Narrative Feature Audience Award | Rental Family | Won | |
| National Board of Review | December 3, 2025 | Top 10 Films | Won | ||
| Savannah Film Festival | October 29, 2025 | Outstanding Achievement in Cinema Award | Brendan Fraser | Won | |
| November 3, 2025 | Audience Award | Rental Family | Runner-up | ||
| Seattle Film Critics Society | December 15, 2025 | Best Youth Performance | Shannon Mahina Gorman | Nominated | |
| Society of Composers & Lyricists | February 6, 2026 | Outstanding Original Score for an Independent Film | Jónsi and Alex Somers | Pending | |
| Virginia Film Festival | October 26, 2025 | Breakthrough Director Award | Hikari | Won | |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards | December 7, 2025 | Best Youth Performance | Shannon Mahina Gorman | Nominated |
References
- Award shared with Hamnet.
- Award shared with nine other films.
- Rental Familyhttps://www.ifco.ie/en/ifco/pages/FF4FD4D9004AC6A2
- Box Office Mojohttps://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3587538945/?ref_=bo_we_table_6
- The Numbershttps://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Rental-Family-(2025)#tab=summary
- The Hollywood Reporterhttps://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/one-battle-after-another-best-film-national-board-review-1236441439/
- The Hollywood Reporterhttps://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/beef-director-hikari-rental-family-1235649878/
- Rental Familyhttps://deadline.com/2023/11/brendan-fraser-oscar-searchlight-rental-family-1235630521/
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2024/film/global/mari-yamamoto-brendan-fraser-rental-family-hikari-searchlight-pictures-cast-1235930141/
- "'Shōgun's Takehiro Hira And Akira Emoto Join Brendan Fraser's 'Rental Family' At Searchlight"https://deadline.com/2024/03/brendan-fraser-rental-family-shogun-takehiro-hira-akira-emoto-1235861448/
- Toronto International Film Festivalhttps://www.tiff.net/films/rental-family
- Deadlinehttps://deadline.com/2025/07/disney-rental-family-psycho-killer-release-dates-1236454722/
- Deadline Hollywoodhttps://deadline.com/2025/07/tiff-lineup-wake-up-dead-man-roofman-the-lost-bus-1236459268/
- Adelaide Film Festivalhttps://www.adelaidefilmfestival.org/program/2025/rental-family
- "The films of the 2025 Rome Film Fest – Fondazione Cinema per Roma"https://www.romacinemafest.it/en/programme_2025/
- Screen Dailyhttps://www.screendaily.com/news/hamnet-to-close-tokyo-film-festival-as-gala-animation-line-ups-revealed/5209065.article
- Stockholm International Film Festivalhttps://www.stockholmfilmfestival.se/en/rental-family
- "Box Office: 'Wicked: For Good' Earns Huge $30.8 Million in Previews, Highest of the Year"https://variety.com/2025/film/box-office/box-office-wicked-for-good-previews-1236587612/
- "Box Office Predictions: Wicked: For Good Will Bring Theaters Back to Life With a 2025-Best Debut"https://screenrant.com/box-office-predictions-wicked-for-good-will-bring-theaters-back-to-life-with-a-2025-best-debut/
- Rental Familyhttps://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/rental_family
- Metacritichttps://www.metacritic.com/movie/rental-family/
- CinemaScorehttps://www.cinemascore.com/
- Deadlinehttps://deadline.com/2025/09/rental-family-review-brendan-fraser-toronto-1236508593/
- Programmkinohttps://www.programmkino.de/filmkritiken/rental-family-2/
- Deadline Hollywoodhttps://deadline.com/2025/11/one-battle-after-another-hamnet-a-house-of-dynamite-among-aarps-movies-for-grownups-best-picture-nominees-1236623475/
- Next Best Picturehttps://nextbestpicture.com/the-2025-hollywood-creative-alliances-hca-astra-film-award-nominations/
- Deadline Hollywoodhttps://deadline.com/2025/10/lucy-liu-chloe-zhao-kpop-demon-hunters-aapi-cinema-amp-tv-1236567413/
- Cinema Chicagohttps://www.chicagofilmfestival.com/festival/tributes/
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2025/film/awards/critics-choice-nominations-2026-sinners-1236601214/
- Deadline Hollywoodhttps://deadline.com/2025/11/hollywood-music-in-media-awards-2025-nominations-list-wicked-for-good-1236608348/
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2025/film/news/hamnet-rental-family-middleburg-audience-award-2025-1236557302/
- filmfest.scad.eduhttps://filmfest.scad.edu/festival/honored-guests
- AwardsWatchhttps://awardswatch.com/frankenstein-no-other-choice-top-audience-awards-at-2025-scad-savannah-film-festival/
- Next Best Picturehttps://nextbestpicture.com/the-2025-seattle-film-critics-society-sfcs-nominations/
- Deadline Hollywoodhttps://deadline.com/2025/12/scl-awards-2026-nominations-list-1236651126/
- Virginia Film Festivalhttps://virginiafilmfestival.org/festival/2025/awards
- AwardsWatchhttps://awardswatch.com/washington-dc-area-film-critics-association-wafca-nominations-one-battle-after-another-sinners-score-13-each/