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“The Rental,” a relationship drama with a twist, has been accused of switching gears halfway through and transitioning into a completely different genre altogether. While it’s possible to watch the first half-hour of the film and believe they’ve stumbled upon a Sundance indie film that fits more into the character-driven world of co-writer Joe Swanberg than what the film eventually becomes, I disagree with the notion that this isn’t a horror film from beginning to end from start to finish. After focusing primarily on the horrors we inflict on one another, particularly when we lie to our loved ones, first-time director Dave Franco transforms the horror into something physical. It’s not particularly novel to suggest that human failures lead to actual villains—take, for example, the origin stories of Jason and Freddy—but there’s something about the claustrophobic cause-and-effect in “The Rental” that keeps it humming and feels novel. You can tell as soon as two characters make a crucial decision because it’s all going to go wrong from there.
Franco has stated that the idea for “The Rental” came about as a result of his general dissatisfaction with Airbnb rentals. I understand what you’re saying. We simply accept the fact that we are spending time in someone else’s home—someone else who has the keys to the house and can come and go whenever they want. In “The Rental,” Franco takes that general sense of unease and turns it into the story of two couples who will almost certainly break up in the near future… if they can manage to make it through the weekend. At first glance, with its wood-shrouded point-of-view shots, this could be mistaken for an homage to ’80s slashers, but it reminded me more of a Michael Haneke film. Franco, like Haneke, is interested in actual, physical horror that is compounded by emotional devastation and a shattered sense of domesticity.
Charlie (Dan Stevens) is celebrating a professional achievement with his partner and friend Mina (Susan Sarandon) (Sheila Vand). There is an immediate sense that Charlie and Mina are becoming increasingly close to the point where they could be considered potentially dangerous. Initially, she is seen physically over his shoulder, giving the impression that they are one of the two couples, but later on, the plot twists to reveal that Mina is actually dating Charlie’s brother Josh (Jeremy Allen White). Charlie’s success has led to the creation of an Airbnb listing for a beautiful house, and he suggests that the two couples—wife Charlie’s Michelle (Alison Brie) completes the quartet—take advantage of the opportunity to get away for the weekend while the house is available. Hiking, drinking, doing drugs, and relaxing in a hot tub are all on the agenda. What could possibly go wrong?
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From the outset, there are warning signs that something is wrong, both in terms of the relationship and in terms of something far more sinister occurring simultaneously. Mina reveals that she attempted to rent the house but was turned down by the manager, a creep named Taylor (Toby Huss), only to have Charlie’s rental application approved an hour later by the same manager. Is it possible that Mina was turned down because of her race? Taylor’s outright questioning of how she “got mixed up” with the other three white people is a pretty clear confirmation of this. And Mina is uneasy when she discovers that Taylor has been in the house while the four of them were out for a walk in the park. There’s a good argument to be made that Franco and Swanberg are suggesting something straightforward with their film: if a rental or the person renting it makes you uncomfortable, find another place to watch it.
The Rental Quiz
They don’t have any. They have a good time, they make mistakes that they try to hide, and then “The Rental” gets a little out of hand. As the tension builds, the shots of the locked door under the house and the figure in the woods pay off in unexpected ways, and the tension builds. “The Rental” has a sense of urgency about it that I found appealing. It’s possible that the first hour will feel too slow for some viewers, but I found the characters to be engaging, and the technological elements are excellent in their ability to add tension without resorting to cheap tricks. In addition to being an executive producer, director Sean Durkin (“Martha Marcy May Marlene”) demonstrates his ability to create a tense atmosphere in this film, and cinematographer Christian Sprenger (TV’s “Atlanta” and “GLOW”) does a fantastic job of conveying how even the most beautiful homes can start to feel threatening.
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It’s true that some of the decisions made by these two couples seem a little too clean and tidy in retrospect—a there’s version of “The Rental” that feels a little more organic and less polished that I think would work even better—but there’s no doubt that Franco knows how to throw punches when the situation calls for it. In terms of direction, it’s a confident debut, one that’s clearly been made by someone who knows exactly what he wants to achieve with each and every frame, with every performance, and with every technical decision. A large number of actors and young genre directors enter the horror genre cautiously, imitating the films they enjoy. While it’s easy to see many of Franco’s influences in “The Rental,” what’s remarkable about this film is that he manages to infuse his own personality into the setting.
About the quiz
Select drive-ins, movie theaters, and digital platforms are now offering the film.Also, you must try to play this The Rental quiz.
For more personality quizzes check this: The Wretched Quiz.
