Weekend Warrior Interview with Filmmaker Hikari: Rental Family

If you’ve been to the movies lately, chances are you’ve caught the trailer for Rental Family, the latest film from talented filmmaker Hikari. Her previous work, 37 Seconds, is a hit on Netflix, and she’s also known for her directing on popular shows like Beef and Tokyo Vice.

In Rental Family, Oscar-winner Brendan Fraser plays Phillip Vandarpleog, an actor living in Tokyo who takes on a unique job at a company called “Rental Family.” This company hires actors to create special experiences for clients, helping them forge meaningful connections they’re missing in their lives. One of Phillip’s tasks is to pretend to be the deceased father of a young girl named Mia, played by newcomer Shannon Mahina Gorman. Despite knowing she can never know the truth, Phillip forms a bond with Mia. The film also features Emmy-nominated actor Takehiro Hira from Shogun and Mari Yamamoto from Pachinko, who previously worked together on the Apple TV+ series, Monarch: Legend of Monsters.

During our conversation, Hikari and I delved into the inspiration behind Rental Family, which stemmed from experiences shared by her cinematographer on 37 Seconds, Stephen Blahut. We also talked about how Brendan Fraser came on board, the casting process around him, including the talented Shannon Gorman, the challenges of filming in Tokyo, and the beautiful score composed by Jónsi from Sigur Rós and Alex Sommers.

Rental Family is now showing in theaters nationwide, so be sure not to miss it! And if you’re interested, you can also check out my review of Hikari’s film.