Post by PhantomKnight on Aug 19, 2020 17:11:53 GMT -5
In the tradition of actors breaking their way into directing by way of horror films comes The Rental, a new entry into the sort of yuppie horror genre directed and co-written by Dave Franco. The movie tells the story of two couples (Dan Stevens and Allison Brie along with Jeremy Allen White and Sheila Vand) who rent an oceanview house for a weekend getaway, where things gradually start to spiral into terrifying territory. What's immediately obvious here is the fact that Dave Franco actually has some talent behind the camera and shows early signs of promise. I've said so elsewhere, but there's clearly a reason why the horror genre seems so perfect for first-time directors, as evidenced by what Franco does here. He pulls off a fairly firm grip on tone and atmosphere, as well as a sense of gradually-building tension. But there's a catch here: The Rental runs at 88 minutes, and the switch-over into the horror/slasher angle of the plot doesn't really occur until nearly an hour into the movie. On the one hand, something can be said for the confidence in which Franco handles the slow-burn quality of the film, but this is a case where a little too much time is spent on that. While I was admiring the craft and the acting here, I was honestly also getting kind of restless after a while as I waited for the horror to really kick in. This might not have been such an issue if the characters were a bit more compelling, but these people seem a bit asshole-ish from the beginning. So, apart from the big incident in the Second Act that sends us slowly down the path to the movie's horror elements, there's not as much in the first half that had me engaged in the way Franco clearly hoped for.
Still, it's a bit hard to dismiss The Rental outright. This movie is a nice glimpse into Dave Franco's directing talent, and he shows enough of an understanding of the craft to help carry the film through its shakier elements. Who knows, maybe this is a movie that'll get better with a second viewing. It's certainly possible.
But for now, to quote 1godzillafan: "It's fine."
**1/2 /****
