The Alison Brie Horror Thriller Leaving Netflix That’s A Creepy Gem
If you’ve been a fan of Alison Brie since the glory days of Community, then it’s definitely time for you to check out a horror film that’s truly “streets ahead.” Over on Netflix, the immensely suspenseful horror thriller The Rental is about to leave the streaming service. If you’re on the fence about checking it out, we’ve got the full lowdown on why this is one creepy gem that you won’t want to miss.
Alison Brie stars in The Rental, streaming now on Netflix, but leaving on October 2.
One of the reasons that film buffs and horror lovers should give The Rental a chance is that it ended up making Hollywood history in the most unpredictable way. Specifically, this movie was simultaneously released in theaters and Video On Demand on July 24, 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a major success and ended up becoming only the second film to ever land at the top of the VOD charts as well as the box office at the same time.
What is The Rental about, though? The film stars Alison Brie as a woman who embarks on a weekend getaway to the Oregon Coast with her husband, the husband’s brother, and his business partner.
They are looking to simply have a good time together, but a combination of growing paranoia within their group as well as the predation of a masked killer threatens to turn this into the kind of cabin in the woods that nobody will ever leave…alive, that is.
And while there are many movies that hold the label “horror thriller,” we think The Rental is a film that more than earns that title. On the horror end, it has plenty of staples of the genre, including the aforementioned remote vacation home as well as a masked killer who grew up watching way too many Friday the 13th movies.
Alison Brie made accidental history with The Rental, which topped the box office and the Video On Demand charts in the same week.
But the film is also a top-notch thriller, and the ratcheting tension within the group as ugly secrets get revealed threatens to tear them apart even quicker and more thoroughly than the masked monster in their midst.
The Rental might sound like a strange brew, but the film finds that fine line between doing homages to the best horror films and thrillers of the past while blending the genres into a fresh and original movie. This achievement is made all the more impressive because this film is the directorial debut of Dave Franco, an actor and filmmaker who has too often been overshadowed by his famous brother, James Franco.
With this confident debut that puts genres into a blender until everything has turned into red pulp, Dave Franco effortlessly proves that he is just as gifted behind the camera as he is in front of it. Helping to bring his directorial vision to life is the lovely and talented Alison Brie, who seems just at home in the world of horror as she ever did in the world of humor.
Other cast members include Downton Abbey star Dan Stevens, The Bear breakout star Jeremy Allen White, and Toby Huss (best known for playing Artie, “the strongest man in the world” on The Adventures of Pete & Pete).
In case you were curious, critics loved The Rental almost as much as we did. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film currently has a 74 rating from critics, and they consistently praised the efforts of the insanely talented cast as well as the solid chills provided by the movie.
Those are always great qualities in any film, and we were happy to discover a horror film that delivered performances that we couldn’t look away from, as well as thrills and chills that made us cover our eyes in genuine fear.
The Rental is the directorial debut of Alison Brie’s husband, comedic actor Dave Franco.
Right now, though, our biggest fear is that you might miss out on your chance to stream The Rental on Netflix because it will soon be leaving the streaming service. Like the mysterious masked man in the movie, though, you have a chance to do what you need to do before your vic–er, before the film gets away.
Just be warned, though: after you see Alison Brie’s killer performance as a lead in a horror film, you may never be able to look at her innocent character on Community the same way again (we’re on to you, Ass Crack Bandit).
