Film Review: The Rental

The Rental is a horror film from Dave Franco, who is making his directorial debut here, along with co-writing with fellow producer, Joe Swanberg. As you might guess by the title, it involves a group of people renting a vacation home. We have two couples, Charlie (Dan Stevens) and Michelle (Alison Brie), and Charlie’s brother, Josh (Jeremy Allen White), and his girlfriend, Mina (Sheila Vand), who also happens to be a working partner for Charlie. They’re celebrating a new deal Charlie and Mina closed at work, and found a beautiful house with a cliffside view of the sea. However, things take a turn when Charlie and Mina discover hidden cameras.

One thing about the film that certainly isn’t surprising are the performances. Everyone here is more than reliable, and not only does Swanberg’s involvement imply a presence of that naturalistic, mumblecore sensibility, which is a staple of his filmography, but any film directed by an actor is more or less guaranteed to bring strong work out of its cast. In lesser hands, most of these characters would come across as thin, but everyone brings a lot to the table, making their characters more well rounded and compelling; getting you just invested enough, even before things go totally south.

As far as a directorial debut goes, it’s perfectly serviceable, but it’s hard to say I find anything particularly special or distinct about Franco’s voice as a filmmaker. While his name might get you to think this is a comedy, it is in fact played very straight, though that doesn’t stop him from conservatively sprinkling a few genuinely funny bits of dark humor. There’s one gag involving a corpse being throw off a cliff that was absolutely hilarious. However, those moments are few and far between. For the most part, the film plays things tense and surprisingly bleak. As such, it’s reasonably effective and well made, aside from some underlit sequences.

The big problem is that it doesn’t do much to differentiate itself from any other generic horror film involving a group of people being watched and potentially hunted down. Stylistically, there isn’t much there, and thematically, I would really have to reach. Perhaps, it’s a film about the importance of open and honest communication in relationships, as much of the film’s drama would have easily been resolved had certain characters not been too stubborn, and simply been honest about feelings and actions that they took, and may regret. However, if that was the intended point, it was a point that came through in a rather frustrating manner.

The Rental is one of those films that I find really tough to write about. It’s perfectly fine. It gets the job done. But there isn’t much particularly memorable or interesting about it. And the few things that are, such as the moments of humor and the bleak conclusion, ultimately aren’t enough to leave a lasting impression. Fans of these actors might find a lot to enjoy, and I did like the brief Toby Huss appearance. It has a mostly workmanlike quality, and there’s something to admire about that. If Dave Franco were to continue making films, ones that lean into his more weirder impulses, then he certainly has my curiosity. Though, to the film’s favor, I’m probably going to be second guessing myself if I ever try to make an Airbnb reservation.

The Rental will open in select drive-ins and VOD platforms starting July 24th.