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For many people, this summer’s vacations are far from normal. We aren’t hopping on a plane, flocking to a resort, and spending the day on a crowded beach or at a busy attraction. But after watching Dave Franco’s directorial debut, The Rental, you may second-guess your quiet getaway, too.
The Rental takes off on a last-minute weekend getaway with two tangled couples. Charlie and Mina (Dan Stevens and Sheila Vand) are business partners who are bracing themselves for a very busy upcoming year. To celebrate, they decide to rent a house on the coast for the weekend. Along with Charlie’s wife, Michelle (Alison Brie), and Josh (Jeremy Allen White), who’s both Mina’s boyfriend and Charlie’s younger brother, they pack their bags and drive to the magnificent house. When they arrive, they’re greeted by the home’s creepy caretaker, Taylor (Toby Huss). And as the weekend plays out, things get creepier and more dangerous as secrets threaten to come out.
Even before they head out to the coast, though, it’s clear that this won’t be just a fun, relaxing getaway for these two couples. Their relationships are just too strangely twisted. Mina and Charlie are extremely close. Strong, professional Mina and laidback Josh make a strange couple. And Charlie worries that his misfit brother is way out of his league. And it just seems like some kind of breakdown—or some kind of confrontation—is inevitable, so viewers will find themselves bracing for the moment when things start to crumble.
But, as it turns out, that’s just the beginning of the problems for this foursome. Taylor is subtly racist, and when Mina calls him out for it, the relationship between renters and caretaker becomes even more strained. So when strange things start happening at this gorgeous oceanfront home—when Josh’s dog goes missing, when Mina makes a disturbing discovery—the suspense builds.
What follows are mistakes, revelations, and a few eerie occurrences that push the characters to their breaking point. It takes a while for the real action to build, but when it does, it’s an entertaining mix of relationship drama and stranger-in-the-woods slasher flick.
It may not be as action-packed as some thrillers, but The Rental offers an interesting updated twist. It’s messy and suspenseful and disturbing, too—and it will definitely make you think twice before going online and booking a weekend getaway in the perfect vacation rental.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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