As a periodic traveler, I often find services like Airbnb and VRBO more practical sources for accommodations than traditional hotels. However, after watching The Rental, I just might have to second guess the next booking I consider.

In The Rental, two couples - a set of brothers and their partners - venture out to the coast for a celebratory weekend getaway at a vacation rental home. As the weekend goes on, however, questions about the stability of the two relationships arise while secret cameras watch them and a mysterious figure lurks around the remote property. When the weekend takes an unexpected and devastating turn, the group has to grapple with these revelations while trying to make it to the end of the weekend alive.

As a film meant to insight paranoia about home-sharing services, The Rental accomplishes its objective. By the end of the movie, anyone who is familiar with services like Airbnb and VRBO can comprehend how real the threat of stalkers can be with vacation rental situations, and there’s certainly a level of under-the-skin horror involved with the concept.

The point of the film, however, seems to be disconnected from the various conflicts written into the story. The two couples spend the weekend navigating their increasingly fragile relationships with each other, but when the inciting event happens, these internal conflicts take a back seat to the external conflict. The delicate nature of every character’s interactions with each other, though thoroughly fascinating, becomes overshadowed to the point of being altogether inconsequential by the climax.

The Rental passes up prime opportunities to be more psychologically twisted in favor of making a practical point. But as the directorial debut of Dave Franco, this is a solid production that shows promise for the entertainer as a filmmaker. For most who enjoy mystery/thrillers, it's likely worth renting.

Acting and Casting - 2 | Visual Effects and Editing - 2 | Story and Message - 1 | Entertainment Value - 2 | Music Score and Soundtrack - 1 | Reviewer's Preference - 1 | What does this mean?

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