Rental Family

An interesting movie about Japanese culture and a critique of actors.

Straight to the point: is it woke? No.

Does it have woke elements? Yes. That’s why I add a point for how much of that it has.

That said, the movie stands out mainly because of its subject matter. The woke content it includes is lightly woven into the story to help it move forward and build the narrative, not to shove a political message down your throat, even though the core theme is rooted in a socio-political critique of Japan.

Even so, it’s handled with respect.

Other films have already tackled the idea of “rent-a-family” from a Western perspective, like Lost in Translation, but not like this—and honestly, this one is much better. On top of that, the lead isn’t a smug actor just playing himself, like Bill Murray. I mention that movie because it touches on depression too, which is also explored here, but in a much more positive way and from a more authentic viewpoint, since the director is Japanese. You can feel the love for her country, coming across as constructive criticism rather than the destructive kind we’re used to in the West.

A solid drama. Not perfect, but watchable.