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Two couples seeking a peaceful getaway choose a seemingly perfect coastal rental property. However, their relaxing weekend takes a dark turn when they discover evidence suggesting the house is bugged, and they are being watched. As paranoia escalates, they struggle to discern reality from surveillance, leading to a tense and unsettling confrontation with the property’s mysterious host and a descent into fear and suspicion.

Two couples seeking a peaceful getaway choose a seemingly perfect coastal rental property. However, their relaxing weekend takes a dark turn when they discover evidence suggesting the house is bugged, and they are being watched. As paranoia escalates, they struggle to discern reality from surveillance, leading to a tense and unsettling confrontation with the property’s mysterious host and a descent into fear and suspicion.

Does The Rental have end credit scenes?

No!

The Rental does not have end credit scenes. You can leave when the credits roll.

Meet the Full Cast and Actors of The Rental

Explore the complete cast of The Rental, including both lead and supporting actors. Learn who plays each character, discover their past roles and achievements, and find out what makes this ensemble cast stand out in the world of film and television.


Ratings and Reviews for The Rental

See how The Rental is rated across major platforms like IMDb, Metacritic, and TMDb. Compare audience scores and critic reviews to understand where The Rental stands among top-rated movies in its genre.


Echo Score

The Movie Echo Score

50

The Rental delivers an efficient thriller experience but is undermined by its reliance on familiar genre tropes and an uneven narrative resolution. Critics generally acknowledge Dave Franco’s competence behind the camera and the cast’s strong performances, yet they often cite a sluggish build to the central mystery and an anticlimactic ending. While moments of tension and moral ambiguity offer brief intrigue, the film’s predictability and shallow payoff prevent it from leaving a lasting impact. Overall, The Rental remains a watchable debut hampered by structural shortcomings.

The Movie Echo Score Breakdown for The Rental

65
Echo Score

Art & Craft

In terms of art and craft, Dave Franco’s direction shows a competent command of framing and pacing but largely relies on established horror conventions. Some reviewers highlighted effective editing choices in sequences such as the montage, while others criticized the basic production design and overuse of genre tropes. The cinematography maintains tension through tight compositions, yet there is little in the way of distinctive visual innovation. Overall, the craft is serviceable but lacks memorable stylistic flair.

55
Echo Score

Character & Emotion

When it comes to character and emotion, performances are generally solid, with Alison Brie’s portrayal earning consistent praise. The ensemble delivers naturalistic interactions and occasional glimpses of moral ambiguity. However, the characters often feel underdeveloped and their motivations lack coherence, limiting emotional resonance. Interpersonal tension arises in key scenes, but it fails to sustain depth across the narrative. Overall, the characters remain watchable but leave only a modest emotional footprint.

45
Echo Score

Story & Flow

In terms of story and flow, the film establishes suspense efficiently in its first half but struggles to maintain narrative propulsion as it progresses. Pacing issues emerge with a delayed mystery reveal, followed by an anticlimactic final act that undercuts coherence. While some plot twists offer brief surprise value, the reliance on clichés and predictable slasher conventions diminishes originality. Overall, the story feels disjointed and fails to deliver a satisfying thematic or emotional payoff.

60
Echo Score

Sensory Experience

In terms of sensory experience, the sound design and score contribute to a claustrophobic atmosphere, punctuating tense moments with effective jump scares. The film’s use of ambient audio and realistic sound effects enhances immersion, and the visual style employs muted tones to reinforce the isolated seaside setting. Nevertheless, the cinematography largely adheres to basic genre framing without delivering standout visual sequences beyond a well-executed montage. Overall, the sensory elements are engaging but not groundbreaking.

40
Echo Score

Rewatch Factor

Regarding rewatch factor, The Rental offers a concise runtime that sustains interest on a first viewing but provides limited incentive for repeated enjoyment. Its moral ambiguity and thematic touches invite initial reflection, yet the predictability of character arcs and the familiar nature of horror tropes diminish curiosity in subsequent viewings. While brief stylistic details may warrant a revisit, the overall narrative and emotional impact lack the depth needed to inspire frequent returns.

Metacritic

62

Metascore

5.5

User Score

Rotten Tomatoes
review

73%

TOMATOMETER

review

47%

User Score

IMDb

5.7 /10

IMDb Rating

TMDB

55

%

User Score

Letterboxd

2.6

From 13 fan ratings

Movie Insider

2.60/5

From 5 fan ratings

Take the Ultimate The Rental Movie Quiz

Challenge your knowledge of The Rental with this fun and interactive movie quiz. Test yourself on key plot points, iconic characters, hidden details, and memorable moments to see how well you really know the film.


The Rental Quiz: Test your knowledge of the chilling thriller 'The Rental'!

What prompts Mina's initial anger towards Taylor?

Full Plot Summary and Ending Explained for The Rental

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Read the complete plot summary of The Rental, including all major events, twists, and the full ending explained in detail. Explore key characters, themes, hidden meanings, and everything you need to understand the story from beginning to end.


Charlie, portrayed by Dan Stevens, and his wife Michelle, played by Alison Brie, along with Charlie’s brother Josh, interpreted by Jeremy Allen White, and Josh’s girlfriend Mina, brought to life by Sheila Vand, decide to enjoy a weekend getaway in a stunning ocean-view house. However, things take a turn when Mina’s rental application is inexplicably denied. Seizing the opportunity, Charlie submits his own request, which is promptly accepted.

Upon their arrival at the secluded property, the group encounters the owner, Taylor, played by Toby Huss. Tension rises when Mina confronts him about the rejection, suspecting racial bias. Although Taylor dismisses her claims, he returns later to provide a telescope, which creates unease for Mina. While the group settles in, it becomes apparent that a sinister presence is surveilling them.

After a night of drinking, Mina and Charlie engage in a sexual encounter in the shower. The following morning, they agree that their intimacy cannot continue, particularly as Josh inadvertently sows seeds of doubt in Michelle’s mind about Charlie’s fidelity, sharing stories of past infidelity. A shocking turn occurs when Mina discovers a hidden camera in the shower-head, which sends her into a panic. Just as she attempts to alert the authorities, Charlie intervenes, fearing that police involvement could reveal their compromising encounter.

Meanwhile, Michelle, under the influence of drugs, reaches out to Taylor to address issues with the hot tub. In the meantime, Mina confronts Taylor about the camera, but he feigns ignorance and decides to call the police. In a chaotic twist, Josh misinterprets the situation and attacks Taylor, resulting in his unconscious state. When the group learns of Taylor’s lifeless body, they wrongly conclude that Josh has inadvertently killed him.

In a state of panic, Michelle insists on calling the police, but Charlie proposes a cover-up: they could make it appear as though Taylor fell into the ocean. As tensions rise and decisions become increasingly desperate, a masked villain, played by Anthony Molinari, enters the scene and brutally smothers Taylor, escalating the horror.

As the group grapples with the unfolding nightmare, Michelle becomes the target of the masked killer, who chillingly broadcasts the earlier footage of Mina and Charlie’s encounter on television. In her turmoil, Michelle crashes her car, while Mina and Josh frantically search for the camera’s receiver to destroy any incriminating evidence.

Tragedy strikes as Charlie discovers Michelle’s lifeless body, only to be subsequently killed by the masked menace. Mina and Josh desperately break into a locked room beneath the house, but their search leads only to discarded boxes of old junk. The horror continues when Josh confronts Mina about the leaked footage, further straining their fractured relationships. As the masked figure hunts them down, only Mina manages to evade capture, but a disorienting fall off the cliff seals her fate.

With the group systematically eliminated, the relentless killer returns to the property, methodically erasing all traces of his heinous acts. He then prepares to ensnare unsuspecting new tenants, establishing a cycle of fear as he continues his sinister spree of murder undetected.

Uncover the Details: Timeline, Characters, Themes, and Beyond!

Watch Trailers, Clips & Behind-the-Scenes for The Rental

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Watch official trailers, exclusive clips, cast interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage from The Rental. Dive deeper into the making of the film, its standout moments, and key production insights.


Official Trailer

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Cars Featured in The Rental

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Explore all cars featured in The Rental, including their makes, models, scenes they appear in, and their significance to the plot. A must-read for car enthusiasts and movie buffs alike.


BMW

X3 F25

Ford

1998

Ranger

Movie Themes and Keywords

Discover the central themes, ideas, and keywords that define the movie’s story, tone, and message. Analyze the film’s deeper meanings, genre influences, and recurring concepts.


vacationhidden camerahot tubstalkerhit on the head with a hammermasked attackerbrother brother relationshipvacation homedrug usetelescopesex with brother's girlfriendcar hits a treemurdered with a hammersex in a showerunfaithfulnessinfidelitypeeping tomsecretly filmed during sexfilmed during sexhidden camera videohidden camera footageserial cheatervacation rentalthrowing a body off a cliffno dogs allowedoceanside homecoastlinecoastal watersfalling over a cliffweekend trippsycho killerstalkingserial killerhiding from a killerremote locationcoastal fogclimbing down a cliffmurder disguised as accidentmasked assailantmasked killershort term rentalproperty managerno pets allowedtwo in a showercreepy manmissing petfrench bulldogspy camerahammer as weaponsecurity locked door

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