The Rental
Directed by Dave Franco
- horror
- thriller
The story
Two couples on an oceanside getaway grow suspicious that the host of their seemingly perfect rental house may be spying on them. Before long, what should have been a celebratory weekend trip turns into something far more sinister.
What it’s like
Cool, desaturated coastal light and tight, uneasy framing define The Rental, a 2020 horror-thriller shot largely inside a glass-walled house on a windswept Pacific shore. Early scenes glow with warm weekend sunlight and cozy interiors, then gradually cool into blue dusk and hushed, shadowed corners where the camera lingers a beat too long. Pacing is patient and slow-building, with long quiet stretches broken by sharp, unsettling jolts, and a sparse, ominous score that thickens into tension. The emotional register is anxious and paranoid, a slow erosion of trust between friends, and the tone of the room shifts from giddy to watchful as the couples sense they are being observed. Violence is brief but sudden and real, with some blood and a few shocking moments; there is nudity and sexual content, drug use, and a steady undercurrent of voyeuristic dread rather than gore for its own sake. It suits a late night alone or a moody rainy evening, for viewers who enjoy slow-burn suspense, atmospheric unease, and a grounded, character-driven fear.
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