We are in the middle of October, which is a great time to binge-watch horror films all day and all night. Perhaps it may not going to be the best decision once you want to go to sleep but at least you’ll have more movies to add to your list. This time, we are going to talk about The Rental.
It was released some months ago and it’s produced and directed by Dave Franco (Now You See Me, 2013), in his directorial debut. He also co-wrote the screenplay with Joe Swanberg based on a story by both of them, together with Mike Demski.
The description of the film tells the story of “two couples looking to celebrate their seed money from a new business venture, embark on a weekend getaway to a seemingly perfect house they’ve booked online. But what begins as a festive weekend for the four close friends turns into something far more sinister as secrets they’ve kept from each other are exposed and paranoia grows that they may not be alone”.
Basically, this couple conformed by Charlie and Michelle decide to rent a house for a weekend getaway and invite Josh, Charlie’s brother, and his girlfriend Mina. The group settles in a house facing the sea without paying much attention to the mysterious attitude of the owner of the house. They later realize that someone is actually stalking them.
It stars Alison Brie as Michelle (Dave Franco’s actual wife), Dan Stevens as Charlie, Sheila Vand as Mina, Jeremy Allen White as Josh and Toby Huss as Taylor.
The film was released on video-on-demand and in select theaters in the United States on July 24, 2020, by IFC Films. It received generally positive reviews from critics, just in Rotten Tomatoes, it held an approval rating of 75% based on 170 reviews. It also became the second film to ever top VOD charts and the box office in the same weekend.
In an interview with Forbes, Franco expressed why he chose the horror genre as his directorial debut. “I think most people know me from the comedies I’ve acted in, so everyone is surprised to hear that my directorial debut is a horror film. As a viewer, there’s nothing I enjoy more than a smart genre film,” he explained. “The horror genre tends to deal with extreme scenarios and emotions, which gave me the freedom to make bold choices and push boundaries wherever I could.”
He has also voiced his interest in a sequel, saying: “It was the intention from the beginning to leave the ending ambiguous enough that we carry on the story if given a chance… I have a very strong idea for what I would want to do with a sequel.”
The Rental is now available in Amazon Prime.
What do you think about this movie?