Rental Family is a rather bizarre premise for a film. especially to those of us here in NA region. Much of it because this film stars Brendan Fraser as he plays a struggling actor who takes on an odd job at a rental family agency in Japan. What is that, you might ask? Well, it’s a business practice in Japan (along with China) of hiring out employees to pretend to be a family member, friend, or significant other. It’s something that most people in NA region will likely not have heard of, and it’s as bizarre as it sounds. However, Japanese director and screenwriter Hikari is most certainly familiar with the practice, and has made a most fascinating film about it. And now, we shall soon see if it’s as good as the critics make it out to be.

Hulu is proud to announce that the 2025 comedy-drama film Rental Family will soon be streaming on the streaming platform. That announcement comes with a brand new trailer, which also reveals that said streaming will begin on February 18, 2026. As for that trailer? You can watch it either on YouTube, or just look below:

I can already sense the incoming tears.

Rental Family Streaming Exclusively on Hulu on February 18, 2026

Rental Family Hulu visual
The kind of odd premise that makes you sit up and look further.

Honestly, this entire premise for the story of Rental Family is absolutely bizarre, but in a most fascinating way. It’s bizarre in the sense that we get to see an absurd business practice specific to Japanese culture, giving us a glimpse into that culture and why such a business practice would be successful there. Heck, the film itself even acknowledges just how absurd the business is by making it a comedy. However, it also explores how heartbreaking and disturbing the practice of hiring out strangers to be family can be, adding some wonderful complexity to the whole situation. The end result is a film that is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking, and we’ll be eager to finally stream it.

What do you all think? Are you eager to watch Rental Family when it makes its streaming debut on Hulu? Tell us your absurd Japanese business thoughts in the comment section below.

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