Brendan Fraser returns to the Toronto International Film Festival with “Rental Family,” a tender new drama co-written and directed by Japanese filmmaker Hikari that explores unconventional bonds and the meaning of belonging.
Fraser, who last appeared at TIFF with Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale” (2022) — the role that won him an Academy Award — said the project immediately struck him as unlike anything else in his career.
“It was so far removed from anything I had seen,” Fraser says. “The story is an unusual way to fulfill the needs of people who are bereft of family. And it felt like a film without a villain per se — apart from apathy. That speaks to us at this time.”
The film follows Fraser’s character, Philip Vanderplug, an outsider adrift in Tokyo who becomes entwined in Japan’s little-known “rental family” industry, where people hire stand-ins to play relatives or companions.
Hikari, who has long been fascinated by stories of chosen families, said she was drawn to the phenomenon because of its poignancy in an era of disconnection.
“This business has existed in Japan since the 1980s, but people didn’t really know about it,” Hikari explains. “Family is everything for me, but I also wanted to show the beauty of found family and community. Even though people feel lonely in modern culture, this kind of service brings people together in a very awkward but fascinating way. I wanted to share that story with the world.”
The film grapples with the idea that connection doesn’t require blood. Fraser’s Philip begins forming bonds with a young girl and an older man, who come to represent the family he has always lacked.
“Brendan’s character didn’t have a father figure,” Hikari says. “So everyone who comes into his life fills in that missing role. The older gentleman becomes his father, the little girl becomes his daughter, and everyone else surrounds him as buddies. That’s his family.”
For Fraser, the story mirrored feelings of isolation and the universal yearning for belonging. “At times in life, we’ve all felt like we want to be part of something and have our noses pressed against the glass, trying to get in,” he shares. “I just needed to be there and let the environment speak for itself. It’s a love letter to Tokyo, addressed to loneliness.”
Fraser spent four months in Japan making the film, learning enough Japanese to hold his own on set. Hikari gave him a “B-plus” for his effort.
“I’m an excellent mimic,” Fraser jokes. “By the end, I could comprehend conversations at least. And I realized that language becomes immaterial when you have a need to communicate. We’re going to find a way, one way or another.”
While the Hollywood industry has faced criticism for a smaller number of films directed by women this year, Hikari expressed pride in being one of the voices represented.
“Filmmaking is very difficult. It takes hundreds of people,” she says. “I’m happy that female directors — directors who happen to be in women’s bodies — are still making movies. I’m proud to be here among so many amazing filmmakers.”
Following his Oscar win, Fraser acknowledges that choosing projects has become both more challenging and more exciting.
“Whatever gets made now is because it’s good material, because audiences can skip to the next thing in the palm of their hand,” Fraser shares. “It means you really have to up your game, choose more carefully, and be better.”
Next on the docket, Fraser will portray President Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Focus Features film “Pressure,” a drama centered on the decision-making behind the D-Day invasion. He stars alongside Andrew Scott.
Ultimately, Hikari hopes “Rental Family” leaves viewers with reassurance and resilience.
“Just know that everything is going to be okay,” she says. “If you get stuck, the answers are usually within yourself.”
Fraser adding: “The villain is apathy. Bring tissues.”