The Rental | Film Review

 

I knew nothing about this film before it came out on Amazon Prime Video. But I am a fan of both Dave Franco, who directs the film, and Alison Brie, who stars in it, so I had high hopes!

Two couples go on a weekend getaway, and slowly become suspicious of the owner of their rental home. But suddenly a fun couple's retreat becomes something much scarier.

I didn't like this film, which is a shame because the premise is ambiguous enough that it could have become so many different things.

Now, as ambiguous as it is, the premise is also something that has been done before. I'm pretty sure at least 50% of the horror movies that no one ever watches are about a group of people who end up at a mysterious house. However, this film does turn that premise around and make it something else, which was interesting to see.

The characters are interesting enough (if a bit bland), but we don't really get to know too much about them. This would have been fine if the film was completely plot-driven, but because it takes such a long time to get to the main plot of the film, the audience has nothing to do but latch onto the characters. It would have been nice to be given a bit more of them.

But saying this, to me, none of these couples felt real. These four people didn't feel like they like each other in any way - even the ones that are supposed to be in relationships.  

The film is classed as a thriller, but it takes way too long for anything thrilling to happen. And because the film is so short (1 hr 28 minutes), you would expect something to happen a lot earlier than it does.

After an hour and 10 minutes of waiting, things started happening, but the wait was so long that I really didn't care what was happening. I knew by that point that this film wasn't really for me.

I found myself asking what the reason was. And not only is this about the film's climax and the reveal of what is happening, but also about the film in general. I just never really got the point.

Overall, this film wasn't for me. But it had a good premise. And with a bit more character development, and a more cohesive plot, it could have been a really good thriller.   

2.5/10