In the horror genre, the home invasion movie still scares me. It might be a reason why I’m a big fan of the Halloween series, with Michael Meyers being the epitome of the masked invader. It is rooted in the ultimate loss of comfort and safety. The Strangers, The Devil’s Candy, or David Fincher’s Panic Room all have made me incredibly uncomfortable. The same can be said for Dave Franco’s (yes, The Disaster Artist star Dave Franco) directorial debut- The Rental. It’s a simple set-up. Two couples: Charlie (Dan Stevens) and Michelle (Alison Brie) and Mina (Sheila Vand) and Josh (Jeremy Allen White), have the idea to rent a home at a sea-side getaway, where they can do some drugs, hike, relax, and enjoy eachothers company. From the get go though, things don’t seem right. There’s some underlying issues between the couples, some lingering attraction between Charlie and Mina, and the house they rented has more secrets than we can even imagine. The Rental is a thrilling horror film, possibly a bit too thin on plot, but excellent in building up tension. Make no mistake, The Rental will have you think twice about using AirBnB ever again.
