In his first main character role since the Academy Award nominated The Whale, Brendan Fraser stars in Hikari’s Rental Family, which was shown ahead of its release on 16th January at Cineworld’s latest Secret Screening.
Set in Tokyo and following a failing American actor, Phillip Vanderploeg (Fraser) takes up work for a company in which he must be a stand-in – whether the father in a family or a friend to a stranger. The result is a tender and thoughtful movie that captures both the whimsy of Japan and pain points at the core of being human.
With tickets available to book now to watch Rental Family at Cineworld, find out what attendees of the advanced screening thought of the film.
Brendan Fraser is back and he’s got us all in our warm, fuzzy feelings.
And it’s a solid start for 2026 for Dwayne Johnson. Again, not that one…
WOW, WOW,WOW! The cast, the story, the acting was amazing, even the soundtrack was great! Got me in the feels.😭 what a beautiful story, well done to director Hikari. One of the best films to the start of 2026. Left in tears and speechless! I'll be giving it a second watch! 💯🙌🏾
— DWAYNE JOHNSON (@DWAYNEJ89432) January 13, 2026
And a win for Cineworld, of course. Thank you, thank you!
heartwarming reminder of the infectious sincerity that brendan 'the teddy bear' fraser exudes in everything he does and another article in the ever-growing list of evidence proving the Cineworld curators never miss
— petrichor (@PetrichorOnFilm) January 12, 2026
Don’t you just love it when a film squeezes on your heart more than you expected it would? We’re glad to see Brendan Fraser booked and busy, too.
I surprisingly enjoyed it it wasn't one of the films on my radar but it was surprisingly good. Its good to still see Brendan Fraiser starring in stuff.
— Isaac Timmins (@ITtimmins) January 12, 2026
Absolutely brilliant film for me, I wouldn’t have imagined I’d like it as much as I did.
— Daniel (@iiBainzyy) January 12, 2026
Gives you a perfect look into Japan, the culture and the people and it’s phenomenal. It makes you want to visit Japan to capture the finer details.
Certainly one a must watch on release day.
Really enjoyed it! Brendan Fraser is so earnestly likeable
— Nathan Major (@NathanKenMajor) January 13, 2026
And that’s on the importance of representation!
You’re welcome, Steve.
Lovely film. Much better than I thought was going to be, really enjoyed it…
— Steve Corthine (@Stryder31) January 13, 2026
The Cineworld chairs are saturated with our tears at this point.
What a wonderful movie. I laughed, I cried, I applauded at the end. A fabulous feel good and emotional movie.
— Tom Smith (@tomsmith9899) January 12, 2026
Really enjoyed it. Very heartfelt and emotional but also plenty of humour. I knew the film would be about Brendan Fraser pretending to be a little girl’s father but not why and I was not prepared for all the other plot threads. A genuine delight.
— The Fourth Dimension (@Mike_J_Lord) January 12, 2026
What an incredible first #SecretSCREENING for me and my girlfriend. Everything was perfect, the characters, story, music, themes, and cinematography. We laughed and cried a lot. First 10/10 for 2026, and definitely recommend anyone else seeing it when it comes out #RentalFamily
— Joseph (@JCarroll1515) January 12, 2026
We’re happy to hear you’ll be spreading the good word, Matt.
It was beautiful and made me cry happy tears no lie definitely recommended it on my daily vlog for my subscribers
— Life Of Matt (@livelifehappy92) January 12, 2026
Need any more convincing? Our Cineworlders are so succinct and so on point with these reviews of Rental Family.
"The type of movie that makes you want to be a better person" - me ⭐⭐⭐⭐
— CertifiedScott (@Certifiedscotty) January 12, 2026
Rental Family - A kind , empathetic , humerus, loving movie.
— Trust No One The UnReForM🦆eD Party TUP 🍌 (@AndrewP500) January 12, 2026
A heart warming film a great way to start 2026 and to forget the troubles of world for 90 minuets - 🙏
Heartwarming, human, life affirming. Just three of the phrases that make me instantly not want to watch a film. However, I loved this and I’m assuming all three descriptions apply here! 10/10!
— Electric Discordian (@leccydisco) January 13, 2026
Book your tickets for Rental Family now!
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