THE RENTAL’s Dave Franco Speaks Up

I knew going in that Dave Franco had been doing interviews non-stop for his feature film directorial debut, THE RENTAL, so the first thing I asked him was how his voice was holding up (clip above).

The beautifully shot film is a quietly disturbing look at the tension of group dynamics, and a world in which privacy is a pipe dream. In it, two couples look forward to a quiet weekend getaway only to discover that the caretaker of their luxurious beach house has a very creepy vibe, and the alone time with just the four of them reveals things about their relationships that are as hard to handle as the putative psycho lurking in the shadows. The film stars Dan Stevens as Charlie, Alison Brie as his wife, Michelle, Sheila Vand as his business partner, Mina, Jeremy Allen White as Charlie’s ne’er-do-well brother who is also Mina’s boyfriend, and Toby Huss as the creepy caretaker. Franco directed from a script we co-wrote with Joe Swanberg based on a story that they developed with Mike Demski. Franco’s previous work includes NEIGHBORS, THE LITTLE HOURS, IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK, the NOW YOU SEE ME FILMS, and as Jeff in Joe Swanberg’s Netflix series, Easy.

The full interview, which includes Franco’s musings on logistics, how his own paranoia fueled the shoot, and an unexpected bonding moment the first day, is here.