The Rental

Movie review by Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media
The Rental Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 15+

Sharp horror-thriller about human behavior and technology.

R 2020 88 minutes
Rate movie

Parents say

age 12+

Based on 3 reviews

Kids say

age 11+

Based on 4 reviews

Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
Rate movie

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Rental is a horror-thriller about two couples who rent a vacation house for the weekend, resulting in illicit sex, drug use, illegal surveillance, and murder. Violence doesn't come into play until the second half, but there's punching and hitting, whacking with blunt objects, stabbing, smothering, a car crash, and other attacks and/or murders. A cheating couple shares an illicit kiss, plus sex in the shower, which is briefly shown via grainy surveillance footage. The man is behind the woman, and there's no explicit nudity. Language is very strong, with multiple uses of "f--k" and "s--t." Characters drink to excess and take Ecstasy, waking up with painful hangovers. The movie is actor Dave Franco's directorial debut, and it's a smart, sharp piece of work, highly recommended to mature viewers. Dan Stevens and Alison Brie co-star.

Community Reviews

Dolmance41
Dolmance41 Adult
September 5, 2020
age 5+

Kind of boring

I let my kids watch it, but they stayed playing on their phones the whole time. The stuff they see in real life is way worse! Plus they can watch anything they want on their phones. Kids won't even want to watch it. It drags on. Most kids like action movies or comedies. This was a drag.

This title has:

Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
cabalist
cabalist Adult
August 21, 2020
age 16+

Not for Kids and Not Really for Anyone Else Either...

This movie casts itself as having to do with life and technology but in reality it is just a poorly written, poorly acted, and passably edited movie about one dimensional characters who go through no changes in the arc of the story. The only thing remotely about technology in the movie is that there are hidden cameras which capture the 'action' (ie the cheating between one of the husbands and the other wife) and cause turmoil in the marriages when the cheating becomes known to the respective partners. Hidden cameras are not new just more prevalent. Drinking, drugs (MDMA/Ecstasy), and cheating sex take a central role in the story. The drugs and sex are central to the plot. The taking of the ecstasy is seen as something that you just do while everybody gets drunk. When 1/2 of the 2 couples go to bed the other two (the remaining husband and wife from separate marriages) kiss in the hot tub and have sex in the shower. I would not bother watching it and would not recommend it for children.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In THE RENTAL, Charlie (Dan Stevens) runs a successful tech company with his partner, Mina (Sheila Vand). Mina is dating Charlie's brother, Josh (Jeremy Allen White), who has a troubled past but is trying to do better. To celebrate a milestone at work, Charlie and Mina decide to rent a vacation home for the weekend for the three of them, plus Charlie's wife, Michelle (Alison Brie). Trouble comes right away when Mina is turned down for the rental but Charlie is approved, suggesting racism on the part of manager Taylor (Toby Huss). But the foursome try to have a good time anyway by taking some Ecstasy. Michelle goes to bed early, and Josh passes out, leaving Charlie and Mina alone. They unwisely act on a drug-fueled impulse and have sex. In the morning, they agree to forget all about it but are then horrified to discover cameras planted all around the house that certainly captured the act. How can they get out of this mess?

Is It Any Good?

Marking Dave Franco's directorial debut, this sharp, engrossing horror-thriller gets by with no supernatural elements, relying entirely on scarily believable human behavior and intrusive technology. Working from a screenplay co-written by Franco, Joe Swanberg, and Mike Demski, Franco creates tension right away in The Rental with his human tableaus. Even the (sometimes dark) humor is designed to throw things off-balance. The very first shot shows Charlie and Mina leaning together over a computer monitor in such a familiar, comfortable way that we may immediately assume that they're a couple.

Everything in the movie is staged in a way that creates tension and dislocation, from Taylor's underlying racism and his sly way of deflecting it, to Michelle being out-of-step with the other three. Michelle is the only one interested in going on a hike, and she takes Ecstasy alone on Saturday night, becoming a kind of quirky comic relief and also a catalyst for more disaster. Brie and Franco are married in real life, and he's given her a rich role here that plays to her talents. Plus, Franco manages to comment on technology in a way that's subtle and not overbearing. He doesn't go easy on his characters, and he finds an ending that clicks into place with a true shudder. In essence, The Rental is a must-see thriller, both smart and unsettling.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about The Rental's violence. How much is shown, and how much is implied? How does sound play a role in the violence? How did it all make you feel?

  • How is sex depicted? What values are implied? Why does it hurt so much when a partner is cheated on?

  • Is the movie scary? What's the appeal of horror movies?

  • Are drugs or alcohol glamorized? Are there consequences for using or drinking? Why does that matter?

  • What are the pros and cons of secret surveillance? What do we gain, and what do we give up with hidden cameras? What is the movie saying about technology?

Movie Details

Our Editors Recommend

  • The Invitation Poster Image

    The Invitation

    Smart, emotional thriller with violence and a creepy cult.

    age 17+
  • Don't Breathe Poster Image

    Don't Breathe

    Brilliantly designed thriller weakened by heavy violence.

    age 17+
  • You're Next Poster Image

    You're Next

    Bloody home invasion movie is more hype than content.

    age 17+
  • Midsommar Poster Image

    Midsommar

    Unsettling, high-class horror movie is extremely violent.

    age 17+
  • Get Out Poster Image

    Get Out

    Horror-thriller is surprising, shocking, timely, and funny.

    age 17+

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate