Joey Magidson
There is a sense of joy and kindness inherent in Rental Family. That comes from its filmmaker, the singularly named Hikari. The director/co-writer of the movie imbues the work, alongside star Brendan Fraser, with a ton of heart, so it’s no surprise that we talk about that in our conversation. She was eager to talk, especially since we were on Zoom literally hours before the film opened in theaters, and we had a very good time. Today, our discussion comes your way.
In my review of Rental Family (here) from back at the Toronto International Film Festival, I had the following to say:
Filmmaker Hikari directs a screenplay she wrote with Stephen Blahut. Visually, the film is often stunning. Her direction is tender, though never fantastical. However, the script that Hikari penned with Blahut does traffic overall in material we know, as well as follows a plot with absolutely no surprises. It’s strictly vibes here, along with Fraser’s work, which is still pretty good stuff, but don’t go in expecting the wheel to have been re-invented.
Below, you can hear my chat with Hikari. We talk about the film, for sure, as well as working with Fraser (who I interviewed previously for The Whale here), and the beauty of Japan. It’s a loose conversation, befitting a gentle and easygoing movie like Rental Family. It’s up against Wicked: For Good this weekend, so it’s not quite counter-programming, but it’s the better flick, in my humble opinion. So, given the choice, I know which one I’d be going to see. Either way, you should definitely give this one a shot, as it’s almost certainly going to leave you with a warm feeling on the inside when the credits roll.
Here now is my interview with Rental Family director/co-writer Hikari. Enjoy:
Rental Family is in theaters now!
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