The Rental
Starring: Dan Stevens, Alison Brie, Sheila Vand, Jeremy Allen White
Directed By: Dave Franco
Rated: R
When a weekend getaway at a luxurious home presents itself to brothers Charlie, Josh, and their significant others, it seems like the perfect opportunity to relax and unwind. What could be better than some time away from the stress of work? A vacation isn’t in the cards for these four when tensions rise, and eerie circumstances appear. Who really owns the property? Can they even trust each other?
Dave Franco embarks on his directorial debut with “The Rental.” While there are aspects that work very well in the film, it feels like two different movies packed into one. It’s part relationship drama and part campy horror film. Unfortunately, the two don’t blend cohesively. The first act is pretty compelling as it takes the viewer through the lives of two couples and their relationship dynamics. There’s tension brewing at surface level, and you never know when it’s all going to explode. Sadly, this all falls apart, with about 30 minutes left when an unknown villain is introduced to harass the characters. There’s no backstory or introduction. As a viewer, it’s frustrating because all of the slow-building relationship drama is rendered meaningless for some slasher style gore thrown in the final act.
The actors are all fine in their roles. This is the second Dan Stevens movie I’ve reviewed in less than a month. Maybe this is the summer of Dan Stevens? In the film, he plays Charlie, the workaholic who is a little too close to his co-worker/brother’s girlfriend, Mina. As the movie unfolds, we see Charlie’s true character which isn’t the most empathetic person. Stevens plays the role convincingly, but Charlie is not someone you’d want to be stuck at a cabin with for a weekend.
Sheila Vand plays Mina. She is caught up in a love triangle between Charlie and Josh (Jeremy Allen White.) The very fact that she even agreed to go on the weekend getaway is pretty odd considering her boyfriend is there, and she’s having an affair with his brother. Talk about an awkward situation!
The standout of the cast is Allison Brie as Michelle (Charlie’s wife), who is the most logical of the group. Brie has her share of comedic moments but serves as the voice of reason throughout most of the film.
Josh is the wildcard of the group. Jeremy Allen White plays the character as calm and collected one moment and unhinged the next.
Despite some interesting characterization, The Rental lacks a cohesive storyline. It tries to blend two very different genres with bizarre results. Although I’m a fan of Dave Franco, I would pass on this rental.
My Rating: 5/10