The Rental [2020]
Surprisingly competent writing, great lighting, and some interesting interior cinematography create a fun and impressively adroit entry into the home-invasion horror genre from debut writer/director, Dave Franco.
The Rental follows four weekenders into a trope laden, secluded vacation house that gets shrouded in mists as night falls. Somehow though, Rental manages to blast head first into that iceberg… and dodge nearly all your expectations. Characters are smart and their actions make sense, dialogue is believable, and situations are far-fetched enough to create a film, but not so ridiculous as to have you pausing the movie to say, “now hold up”. This is a genre that suffers hugely from creating ridiculous reasons for characters to stay in locations, people doing things that no person has ever or will ever do, and creating campy and stupid twists that make the whole effort a laughingstock by the end. While The Rental probably isn’t going to be anyone’s favorite film of all time, it is certainly a top tier experience within the genre it has chosen.
It’s not without its flaws, but those flaws are more baubles than they are true weaknesses. Rental suffers from what many first-time creators suffer from, and that’s “too many ideas”. Each of Rental’s plots are interesting, but they don’t quite mesh the way that something a little more focused might, or could have with some slight tweaking to the narrative. That said, this is only a very minor issue and not one I expect most viewers will have on a first time watch.
With a few moments of very strong editing and lighting, the film is paced at an intentional but never slow rate. Though there is a single moment of corny “BE SCARED” jump music, for the most part, there is an intentional mood that is well set and the editing plays into it exactly as it is meant to.
I think this one doesn’t get a fair shake from reviewers and I’m not entirely sure why. Having just watched 2016’s Hush which sports ludicrously high reviews from Rotten Tomatoes critics [93/73] and 2007’s Inside (which is equally ridiculously beloved [85/75]), I honestly can’t say what it is about The Rental that rubbed people the wrong way.
If you are a fan of “home invasion” style horror/thrillers, check this one out. If you’ve been disappointed by those in the past, see if this one gives you a better taste for what they could be. Either way, The Rental will have you locking your doors and checking your closets long after the credits roll.
