critics consensus

Rent-A-Pal suffers from untapped thematic potential, but Wil Wheaton's unsettling performance makes this unique horror story worth watching. Read critic reviews

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Movie Info

A strange VHS tape allows a lonely bachelor named David to find companionship with Andy -- its charming and charismatic host. However, Andy's friendship comes at a cost, and David desperately struggles to afford the price of admission.

Genre:

mystery and thriller
Original Language:

English
Director:

Jon Stevenson
Producer:

Annie Elizabeth Baker, Jimmy Weber, Jon Stevenson
Writer:

Jon Stevenson
Release Date (Theaters):

Sep 11, 2020 limited
Release Date (Streaming):

Sep 11, 2020
Box Office (Gross USA):

$29.6K
Runtime:

1h 48m
Production Co:

Pretty People Pictures

Cast & Crew

Wil Wheaton
Andy

Brian Landis Folkins
David

Kathleen Brady
Lucille

Amy Rutledge
Lisa

Adrian Egolf
Diane

Josh Staab
Cameraman

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Critic Reviews for Rent-a-Pal

All Critics (51) | Top Critics (6) | Fresh (35) | Rotten (16)

While [the] methods for trying to find companionship are all decades-old ... the emotions at the core of Rent-A-Pal don't feel that distant from 2020 and its digital solutions for human connection.

November 16, 2020 | Rating: B | Full Review…

Kimber Myers
Crooked Marquee
Stevenson's script... is smart in the dialog but wavers in its structure, and could have benefited from a leaner edit before shooting.

October 23, 2020 | Rating: 2.5/5 | Full Review…

Richard Whittaker
Austin Chronicle
Wil Wheaton plays one of the scariest villains of the year in Jon Stevenson's brilliant Rent-A-Pal.

September 11, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…

Nick Allen
RogerEbert.com
Rent-A-Pal goes full-tilt mayhem in its final act, shattering its carefully calibrated dread in a race to make an already belabored point: that technological advancements are to be questioned, and there is no substitute for human connection.

September 11, 2020 | Rating: C+ | Full Review…

Danette Chavez
AV Club
Expertly keeps you on edge.

September 10, 2020 | Full Review…

Frank Scheck
Hollywood Reporter
This thriller, the debut feature from Jon Stevenson - who not only wrote, produced and directed it, but was also the editor - does a lot of things well. Or almost well. But finally, not well enough.

September 10, 2020 | Full Review…

Glenn Kenny
New York Times
Unusual and gripping nineties-set horror/thriller about the need for connection outside of family and what loneliness can do to a person, featuring actors who are worth watching out for in the future.

February 14, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/5 | Full Review…

Alix Turner
Ready Steady Cut
Builds a claustrophobic world of era-specific appliances and, ultimately, techno-horror as it dwells on loneliness, desire, and poisonous male relationships.

December 28, 2020 | Full Review…

Johnny Loftus
Decider
Rent-a-Pal is an understated gem, and deserves a huge audience for all its principals, dealing with a subject that is rarely touched upon by mainstream cinema.

October 26, 2020 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

Alan Boon
Starburst
Soon enough things get dark.

October 22, 2020 | Rating: C+ | Full Review…

Gregg Shapiro
Bay Area Reporter
It sets itself apart from similar genre fare in stylish and chilling fashion.

October 21, 2020 | Rating: 8.5/10 | Full Review…

Grant Hermanns
ComingSoon.net
The majority of the film looks like it could have been a disturbing psychological study ... But then, Rent-A-Pal went down a very unimaginative and cliché horror path toward the end of the film.

September 25, 2020 | Full Review…

Carla Hay
Culture Mix