[Review] The Rental(2020) {6/10}

Directed by Dave Franco in his feature directorial debut, Franco co-wrote the screenplay with Joe Swanberg. The film stars Dan Stevens (Charlie), Alison Brie (Michelle), Sheila Vand (Mina), Jeremy Allen White (Josh) and Toby Huss (Taylor).

The plot follows follows two couples on an oceanside getaway who begin to suspect they are being watched in the house they rented. Before long, what should have been a celebratory weekend trip turns into something far more sinister.

The film enters thriller terrain when the characters learn that somebody has been watching, and filming, them. Franco maintains a smooth grip on the wheel and displays a flair for visual storytelling. He avoids unnecessary explanatory dialogue. While his intensity level is a little underwhelming, he builds substantial suspense. He presents his characters with a winning blend of soapiness, seriousness and genuine feeling. But from a screenplay perspective, The Rental is very weak. The setup tells you the exact path that the narrative is going to take due to the handsy bond between two characters. You can tell what the conflict between the two parties will be by the 20-minute mark and yes, it involves cheating. The drama itself is relatively enticing, but the weak dialogue drags it down. While The Rental is more narratively coherent than other summer horror releases, it still suffers from a sluggish pace and builds up unnecessary story elements. The ending is an utter failure, unless it intentionally is trying to set up a sequel based on a perpetrator who arrives late to the action, because Franco and Swanberg ran out of any reasonably good way to finish this tonally-butchered, patchwork thriller off.

The Rental is now available on Digital and Blu-ray.