Brendan Fraser stars as Phillip Vanderploeg in the new film from Hikari, “Rental Family”, which follows an American actor in Tokyo in the midst of a struggle to find purpose when he lands an unusual gig: working for a Japanese “rental family” agency.
Here, he plays stand-in roles for strangers, and along the way, rediscovers purpose, belonging, and the beauty of human connection.
“Rental Family” hit theaters in November 2025 and is now heading for home release.
Landing on platforms such as Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home starting January 13, “Rental Family” will be available to rent and buy.
Along with the digital release, the film is also available for pre-order in physical formats, expected to release on February 17, 2026.
As part of the release, Searchlight has offered Newsweek an exclusive clip from the bonus features, titled “Aiko’s First Client”, a deleted scene from the film.
READ: When Will ‘People We Meet on Vacation’ Be on Netflix? – Streaming Guide
‘Rental Family’ – How to Watch
“Rental Family” will be available to rent and buy across Video on Demand platforms from January 13, 2025.
The film will be available to purchase on platforms such as Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home.
Where Can I Watch ‘Rental Family’?
“Rental Family” is heading to Video on Demand platforms from January 13, 2025.
A streaming date for the film is yet to be announced.
‘Rental Family’ Physical Release Date
“Rental Family” is now available for pre-order in 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD formats. It will be released on February 17, 2026.
Bonus features include:
- Featurette: Rental Family Revealed — Go behind the scenes with Brendan Fraser, director HIKARI, and the Japanese cast as they explore friendship, culture, found family, and filming in Japan in this intimate look at the making of Rental Family.
- Deleted/Extended Scenes:
- Columbus
- Crying Session
- Apology
- Aiko’s First Client
- Clearbright
- Tickets
- Audition
- Phone Call
- Final Montage
Bonus features may vary depending on format and retailer.
‘Rental Family’ Digital Release Date
“Rental Family” will be available to watch digitally from January 13, 2025.
Is ‘Rental Family’ Available to Stream in the US?
“Rental Family” does not yet have an official streaming release date. However, as a Searchlight release, it is likely the film will end up on Disney+ at a later date.
What Is ‘Rental Family’ About?
The official synopsis for “Rental Family”, as per Searchlight Pictures, reads:
Set in modern-day Tokyo, HIKARI’s Rental Family stars Academy Award®–winning Brendan Fraser as a has-been American actor searching for purpose and belonging in a society where he feels increasingly adrift. An unexpected acting call leads him to a “rental family” agency, where he is hired to play stand-in roles for strangers seeking connection. As performance begins to blur with reality, the immersive role-playing awakens his humanity and compassion, drawing him deeply into his clients’ lives and pushing him off-script whenever his empathetic heart takes over. Searchlight’s Rental Family channels the emotional depth of award-winning director, producer, and co-writer HIKARI (Beef, Tokyo Vice, 37 Seconds), who believes cinema “allows us to view others with empathy, creates space for conversation, and see parts of ourselves we did not know existed.”
