Rent-a-Pal (2020) Review – A Chilling and Uncomfortable Study of Loneliness

Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are reviewing Rent-a-Pal from 2020.

It’s definitely unique

Rent-a-Pal follows the life of 40-something man David Brower, played by Brian Landis Folkins, and his attempts to overcome his loneliness. David lives at home and cares for his ailing mother Lucille, played by Kathleen Brady, who is suffering from dementia. While consistently failing at finding love via video-dating, he spots a brand new tape. The VHS, Rent-a-Pal, offers the viewer a unique, best friend, experience. Intrigued, David purchases the tape and takes it home, little realising that it will open the door to an all encompassing obsession.

“Rent-a-Pal skirts the line between slow burn horror and barely a horror at all. David is a troubled and lonely individual and we are watching his life as he slowly unravels.”

Full disclosure, Rent-a-Pal skirts the line between slow burn horror and “barely a horror at all”. There is an overarching character drama going on here. David is a troubled and lonely individual with a complicated past and we are watching his life as he slowly unravels. Psychologically tormented; awful things happen to him, but so does a lot of mundane stuff.

It takes a decent length of time for Rent-a-Pal to find its horror trappings. They come on very late in the film so you should go into it expecting to wait for things to get going. The character drama takes precedence and the movie requires the viewer to thoroughly buy into David’s tormented life of loneliness, rejection, and abject suffering. Luckily, the lead up to the real meat of the movie is actually rather interesting.

An intriguing plot

David is a character that is very easy to sympathise with. His life is tragically lonely and his situation is one that many people are faced with everyday. The feeling of responsibility that he has for his mother binds him to the home. He does not have any friends or a job and spends his time in his mum’s basement. He is acutely aware of how he must come across as undesirable but will not abandon his mother.

It becomes apparent, later on, that he has always been something of an outcast. A difficult childhood coupled with the suicide of his father has left him vulnerable and delicate. David has seemingly been in a state of depression and loneliness for some time. He is desperate for companionship and someone to understand his life and appreciate him. David’s situation and personal circumstances do a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to keeping the viewer invested.

Incidentally, David’s mental decline plays heavily into the story in much the same way as Travis Bickle’s does in Taxi Driver. The only issue here is that David doesn’t seem to be a person on the cusp of psychological collapse. Something which can make the progression of the story feel a little forced and just a little far-fetched. An issue which makes the movie, as a whole, a little uneven.

An uneven experience

The first half of Rent-a-Pal is compelling and enjoyable. Acting performances are generally really great, character development is fairly steady, and the pacing is decent. The second half, however, descends into lunacy. The interesting development of David’s character is lost. The events are entirely unbelievable and there are a number of eye-rolling moments.

“I can’t help but feel as though it was all a little rushed. I was left grieving for a movie that had so much potential but just didn’t stick the landing.

As the last 15 minutes of the movie played out, I was wondering whether I was watching a black comedy. It is funny, that is for sure, and I think a lot of it is intentional. But the plot loses cohesion and I can’t help but feel as though it was all a little rushed. I was left grieving for a movie that had so much potential but just didn’t stick the landing.

Rent-a-Pal presents itself as a deep character study of a person who is easy to empathise with. It then has that person do things that are silly, unrelatable, and totally unbelievable. A second act more in tune with the first would have had me rating Rent-a-Pal much more positively. As it is, it lost me in the second half and didn’t quite manage to rope me back in.

Excellent acting

Acting is generally great. Kathleen Brady does a fantastic job of portraying a person suffering from dementia. She garners a few laughs, as well, with some of her sharp comments. This wasn’t an easy role to play. She is both sympathetic and offers a glimpse into the stern woman she used to be.

“Wil Wheaton is absolutely brilliant as Andy, the host of Rent-a-Pal. He has a sinister quality to his performance that made me really wish he wasn’t just a host repeating the same thing.”

Wil Wheaton is absolutely brilliant as Andy, the host of Rent-a-Pal. He has a sinister quality to his performance that made me really wish he wasn’t just a host repeating the same thing over and over. This movie would have benefited massively from Andy having a more drawn out dialogue with David. The way things are done is severely limiting to one of the best parts about the movie. I thought he was great.

Amy Rutledge, as Lisa, is excellent. She does a perfect job of portraying a kind, caring, awkward person and you warm to her immediately. There are a number of scenes that display Amy’s excellent ability to convey tenderness and emotion. She has great range and I look forward to seeing more of her in the future.

I’d also point out that Amy obviously has such a bodacious booty that someone felt the need to mention it in the IMDb Parental Advisory section. I quote directly here: “Lisa’s pants are very tight and might be very distracting for some viewers.“. That sort of reminds me of when people call women slutty because they have large breasts. Get a life people, she can’t help having an awesome ass. How do you even hide that? You want her to wear a gown all the time? Damn, people are weird.

Our Scoring Philosophy: A Fair Fight

Horror is a genre that thrives thanks to indie film makers and low budget creators. At Knockout Horror, we firmly believe that every movie that we review deserves a fair fight. That's why we grade on a curve. Our star ratings are all about context, judging a film on what it achieves with the resources it has.

A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.

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