The Rental

8/8/2020

If you enjoy reading my Spoiler-Free reviews, please follow my blog @ https://www.msbreviews.com The Rental is Dave Franco’s debut as both director and screenwriter of a feature film. Making a successful horror movie was never an easy task, but I believe it’s even harder nowadays. This genre has evolved in so many ways by delving into distinct subgenres and helping new directors deliver brilliant horror stories. Of course, every year has dozens of awful horror films, and most of the “Worst Movies of the Year” lists possess more than one horror flick. However, I firmly defend horror is reaching audiences like never before, and I genuinely believe that it’s a matter of time until a Best Picture award goes to this genre. So, is The Rental one of the better ones or not so much? Well, it

8/25/2022

Sometimes bad things happen to good people, and sometimes they happen to horrible people, like the characters in The Rental – the rare horror film where identifying with the killer isn't morally reprehensible. Charlie (Dan Stevens), his wife Michelle (Alison Brie), Charlie's brother Josh (Jeremy Allen White), and Josh's girlfriend Mina (Sheila Vand ), decide to rent a beachfront house for a weekend getaway. Charlie, Michelle and Mina are successful professionals; Josh is dumber than a rock. How dumb is Josh? At one point he says he just got a "weird text message" and proceeds to play a voicemail. This must have been intentional; otherwise it's writers Joe Swanberg and Dave Franco (who also directs) who are dumb, and based on their movie they're anything but. Brie is as effective here