You’ll reconsider the next time you decide to stay at an Airbnb after watching The Rental. I mean when you think about it, moving into a stranger’s abode, even if only for a few days, is awkward. It’s an intimate experience that requires trust. This portrait presents insidious behaviors I may never shake. But isn’t that what effective horror does? Introduce fears that now haunt you. I mean Hitchcock made the simple act of taking a shower scary. 2020 has had no shortage of horror films and wouldn’t ya know it. This is a review for yet another. Don’t write this off as an average release from the genre. This one is quite good.
Our tale concerns two couples vacationing together for a weekend. There’s Charlie (Dan Stevens) and his wife Michelle (Alison Brie) and then there’s Josh (Jeremy Allen White) and his girlfriend Mina (Sheila Vand). Josh and Charlie are brothers. Mina and Charlie are business partners. It sounds a little convoluted but as developments unfold, the relationships feel organic. The connections help explain the familiarity that everyone has with each other.
The “rental” of the title refers to a glorious ocean view estate along the Oregon Coast. The property is available to rent for anyone looking to get away. Well, actually Mina’s application to lodge there is denied until Charlie’s is approved. Did the fact that her full name is Mina Mohammadi have anything to do with that? The group wonders. That’s the first, but certainly not the last, disconcerting situation our foursome encounters. Josh insists on bringing his bulldog even though there is a distinct no-pets rule. That doesn’t bode well either. Upon arrival at the house, they meet their host, a good ol’ boy named Taylor (Toby Huss). The creepy passive-aggressive conversation they have with him has unsettling undercurrents that set the tone for their stay.
The Rental is the directorial debut from actor Dave Franco (21 Jump Street, Now You See Me) and it is a surprisingly assured and accomplished effort. Beautifully filmed, effectively acted, and well-plotted ….up to a point. This horror saga is an efficient 88 minutes. I dare say the first two-thirds had me thinking this was more of a psychological thriller along the lines of something Hitchcock might do. A lot of the credit must also go to the king of mumblecore Joe Swanberg (Drinking Buddies) who brings his talent for natural dialogue to the screenplay he co-wrote with Dave Franco. An interesting schism is introduced after a disagreement arises over whether to take recreational drugs that first evening.
The cracks that exist within their respective relationships underscore the subsequent events. College dropout Josh has already expressed reservations that he feels he isn’t good enough for wildly successful tech entrepreneur Mina. These thoughts weigh on his mind. Co-workers Charlie and Mina are back at the mansion dealing with a hangover from the previous night. Meanwhile, Josh and Michelle have a deep discussion while the two are out walking together in the woods that same morning. Josh drops some revelations. Michelle begins to doubt Charlie’s faithfulness after being confronted with a disturbing pattern in his past relationships.
The Rental holds a brilliant set-up that could have gone any number of ways. I must tread lightly for fear of spoilers but the uneasy feelings are further compounded by a shocking discovery they make on the property they are renting. Unfortunately, the end isn’t — shall we say — as intellectually sophisticated as the beginning. In fact, the narrative devolves into a completely different film. I admit I enjoyed both of them. What ultimately happens is still exciting. Just a wee bit anticlimactic after the impressive setup I relished before.
2 Responses
I also felt that Hitchcock mood during the first 3/4 of the film. Had me guessing and intrigued. Acting was pretty good. I’ll give this 4 stars too.
Along with The Wretched and Relic, this was one of the summer hits that still managed to earn box office through drive-in theaters during the economic shutdown.