IMDb RATING
6.3/10
6.7K
YOUR RATING
1990: David, 40, looks after his dementia mom. He uses a video dating service to no avail. He buys a "Rent-A-Pal" video tape and things change.1990: David, 40, looks after his dementia mom. He uses a video dating service to no avail. He buys a "Rent-A-Pal" video tape and things change.1990: David, 40, looks after his dementia mom. He uses a video dating service to no avail. He buys a "Rent-A-Pal" video tape and things change.
- Awards
- 2 wins & 4 nominations total
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- Writer
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Featured reviews
This is not a horror so don't go in it for that. It's more of a psychological thriller than anything, overall it's a decent film nonetheless.
Maybe a little slow at the start but stick with it
Worth a watch
7/10
A good thriller about how lonely a person can be and how the ressentment of life can bring you to the break of madness. With Wheaton bringing some great and creepy acting to the table.
Long and slow movie to get to the end. It's a bit creepy which was a nice tone once it got to that part. The lasagna was the real villain in this movie.
For such a low budget film with no very big name Hollywood actors, this is actually a very good picture. It doesn't have any big stunts, CGI or typical Hollywood scare tactics, but it doesn't need any. The acting is exceptionally well done and well cast to fit the script. The actors are more than capable of executing a creepy discomfort from beginning to end, which is a nice change from the traditional gory hack and slash films lately that just try to produce shock value. There are some gory scenes here and there, but they're evenly spaced out and not overly dramatic. Last but not least, it has Will Wheaton, so if you're a big Star Trek TNG fan, you'll like that he's in it and the role really allows him to spread his acting wings.
So get it out of the "horror movie" genre. Once you view it as a character study, a dark one at that, it may be better reviewed.
With a low budget, the director / producer / writer managed to put together a very well done, character-driven, engaging little movie. The cinematography was very good, the tension was palpable, the dementia was well portrayed.
Thoughts of "Requiem for a Dream" and even "Taxi Driver" went through my head as I watched. Definitely recommend for what it is.
Did you know
- TriviaThere was a real video cassette sold in 1986 called Rent A Friend. A lot of the scenes done by Wil Wheaton are direct references to things that happened on the original video from 1986.
- ConnectionsFeatures La dame du vendredi (1940)
- How long is Rent-A-Pal?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $30,901
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $19,650
- Sep 13, 2020
- Gross worldwide
- $31,053
- Runtime
- 1h 48m(108 min)
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