Review:
"The Rental"
Release Date: July 24, 2020
Rating: R Running Time: 88 minutes First question: Dave Franco like horror? His acting resume does not provide a definite answer considering the only horror film he has appeared in is the 2011 Fright Night remake. His directorial debut, The Rental, a relationship drama concealed as a slasher, also does not shed any light on Franco’s affection for horror. Second question: does it matter whether Franco likes horror? He would not be the first filmmaker to employ horror to explore personal or political themes. In recent years, Jordan Peele has perfected the art of telling stories about racism by embracing and subsequently subverting genre conventions. But Franco displays little interest in actually using horror as a means to investigate the knotty interpersonal dynamics at play in The Rental. There is no cause and effect here. He goes out of his way to essentially separate the disintegration of the relationships he presents in The Rental from the danger his four protagonists later face. This is not to say nothing strange happens during the first 50 minutes of The Rental’s 88 minutes. But it is kept to a minimum, and Franco creates the impression that he has no choice but to throw in a few moment creepy moment so he can cue up his bloody final act. The Rental is restricted to one lovely location, a seaside house rented by two couples: Charlie and his wife Michelle (Dan Stevens and Alison Brie, respectively) and Charlie’s brother Josh and his girlfriend Mina (Jeremy Allen White and Sheila Vand). Charlie and Mina work together, and are very tight at work and outside of work, which creates significant complications when the two first begin to suspect they may not be safe in the house. Their reaction sets in motion the terrible events to come. Franco does an admirable job of constructing and then deconstructing the enmeshed relationships that unravel over the course of the weekend. He also draws out persuasive performances from his cast, especially from his real-life wife Brie and Stevens as the beautiful couple whose marriage is not as rock solid as initially presented. When the blood begins to flow, though, Franco disengages from The Rental. He abandons any attempts to resolve the problems created earlier during The Rental and allows the terror that follows to unfold in an impassive fashion that betrays his previous curiosity about these two couples. Worst of all, Franco fails to underline the couples’ fight for survival with any tension. He moves on from a kill as though nothing more injurious occurred to the victim than then stubbing their toe. This is not to say that The Rental lacks any spine-tingling moments. But they are few and far between. And they do not sufficiently feed into any statement Franco wants to make about the potential hidden dangers of renting a stranger’s home. Franco has a good eye as a director. And he demonstrates a keen ability to capture a person at their most vulnerable. But he refusal to commit to horror ruins this weekend getaway. Robert Sims Aired: July 23, 2020 Web site: https://www.therental.movie |
|