Over the past few years, moviegoers have noticed a clear horror renaissance, with the genre producing unique films that are being widely celebrated. And there are a slew of exciting projects coming down the pipeline, including IFC's The Rental. Helmed by actor-turned-director Dave Franco, The Rental focuses on a group of people who rent a beautiful remote home for a weekend, but soon suspect that the owner is out to get them.
Dave Franco is coming out as a bonafide filmmaker with The Rental, which he directed, produced, and wrote. The movie features a small but strong cast including GLOW's Alison Brie, Beauty and the Beast star Dan Stevens and Halt and Catch Fire's Toby Huss. The plot seems pretty simple, as the group of friends realize they're being watched, and things slowly descend into chaos. Check out the trailer for The Rental below.
Honestly, sign me up. This looks like a good old fashioned slasher movie, with the cast likely being picked off one by one. And if the trailer for The Rental is any indication, Dave Franco has a ton of scares in store for his big directorial debut. Let's break down exactly what we're being shown in this awesome first glimpse.
The trailer for The Rental begins by setting up the movie's titular location. Two couples stumble upon an isolated, picturesque Airbnb to vacation in. The house itself is gorgeous, but the owner Taylor (Toby Huss) is a bit of an oddball. His creepiness is evident from the jump, but is quickly dismissed as the group settles in to enjoy themselves, including some recreational drug use. Anyone who has ever seen a horror movie knows sex and drugs usually result in characters being killed, and that seems to be exactly what will occur throughout The Rental's runtime.
Following a few weird things like dirt falling from the ceiling, the crap hits the fan. In a new take on the classic horror shower scene trope, Sheila Vand's character Mina discovers a small camera hidden within the shower head. Plenty more creepy things happen within the house, and it soon becomes clear that the group isn't safe within their rental home.
Where The Rental's plot goes from there is a mystery, but it looks like the movie will feature a mixture of psychological horror and more traditional kills and jump scares. The group's apparent lack of safety weighs on them, likely fracturing some of the relationships in the process. And through it all, the movie's villain seems to have the upper hand.
Dave Franco first worked with Alison Brie back in 2013, when he directed and starred alongside the actress in a Funny or Die short. It looks like that work relationship has bloomed into a more extensive project, with Brie playing The Rental's protagonist Michelle. Smart money says she's the final girl, although I have to wonder what twist and turns Franco has in store for audiences.
The Rental currently has a release date for July 24, assuming theaters are open at that time. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
