The Rental

The Rental

Year: 2020

Runtime: 89 min

Language: English

Echo Score: 50

Budget: $3.5M

ThrillerHorror

Two couples seeking a peaceful getaway choose a seemingly perfect coastal rental property. However, their relaxing weekend takes a dark turn when they discover evidence suggesting the house is bugged, and they are being watched. As paranoia escalates, they struggle to discern reality from surveillance, leading to a tense and unsettling confrontation with the property’s mysterious host and a descent into fear and suspicion.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen The Rental yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline – The Rental (2020)

Trace every key event in The Rental (2020) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Weekend Getaway Begins

Charlie and his wife Michelle, along with his brother Josh and Josh's girlfriend Mina, set off for a weekend getaway at a beautiful ocean-view house. Excitement fills the air as they plan to enjoy a relaxing time together away from their daily lives.

Ocean-view house
2

Rental Application Denied

Upon their arrival, the group learns that Mina's rental application had been denied without explanation. Tensions rise as Mina suspects that racial bias played a role in the rejection, leading Charlie to submit his own application, which gets approved.

Rental agency
3

Conflict with Taylor

The owner of the property, Taylor, confronts Mina about her suspicions and dismisses her claims of discrimination. However, he returns later with a telescope, creating further unease for Mina and hinting at a sinister undertone to his actions.

Ocean-view house
4

Intimacy between Mina and Charlie

After a night of drinking, Mina and Charlie find themselves in a compromising position and engage in a sexual encounter in the shower. The next morning, they share a mutual understanding that this cannot continue, especially after Josh's stories about Charlie's past infidelities.

Shower in ocean-view house
5

Discovery of Hidden Camera

Mina makes a shocking discovery: a hidden camera in the shower-head, which sends her into a panic. In her attempts to alert the authorities, Charlie fears that their secret will be exposed, leading to intervention to prevent her from calling the police.

Ocean-view house
6

Confrontation with Taylor

Mina again confronts Taylor about the hidden camera, but he acts oblivious to her claims and instead decides to involve the police. Meanwhile, Michelle, heavily under the influence of drugs, reaches out to Taylor for issues with the hot tub.

Ocean-view house
7

Josh's Misunderstanding and Violence

In a moment of chaos, Josh misinterprets Taylor's demeanor and attacks him, knocking him unconscious. The group's panic escalates when they realize that Taylor appears to be dead, leading them to think that Josh has killed him by accident.

Ocean-view house
8

Cover-up Proposal

Faced with the potential consequences of their actions, Michelle insists on contacting the police. However, Charlie proposes a dangerous cover-up, suggesting that they make it look like Taylor fell into the ocean, worsening the tension among the group.

Ocean-view house
9

Arrival of the Masked Killer

Amidst the chaos, a masked killer enters the scene and brutally smothers Taylor, adding to the horror of the situation. The group is now faced with a more immediate threat as the killer begins to prey on them.

Ocean-view house
10

Michelle Becomes Target

The masked killer targets Michelle, chillingly broadcasting the footage of Mina and Charlie's earlier encounter. In emotional distress, Michelle crashes her car, heightening the sense of terror and urgency for the remaining group members.

Ocean-view house
11

Tragedy Strikes

Charlie discovers Michelle's lifeless body, only to be met with his demise at the hands of the masked killer. The group, now decimated, begins to realize the true extent of the horror they are embroiled in.

Ocean-view house
12

Search for Evidence

Mina and Josh make a desperate attempt to locate the camera's receiver in hopes of destroying the incriminating evidence. Their frantic search reveals the fractures in their relationships as they confront the gravity of their situation.

Ocean-view house
13

Disorienting Fall

As the masked figure hunts them down, Mina narrowly escapes his clutches. However, in a tragic twist of fate, she suffers a disorienting fall off the cliff, sealing her fate as the last remaining survivor.

Cliff near ocean-view house
14

Masked Killer Cleans Up

With the group systematically eliminated, the masked killer returns to the property to erase all traces of his heinous acts. He prepares for the next unsuspecting tenants, indicating an unending cycle of fear and brutality.

Ocean-view house

Last Updated: November 02, 2024 at 13:14

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Paranoid surveillance thrillers like The Rental

Stories where technology and voyeurism shatter trust and breed fatal suspicion.If you liked the unsettling feeling of being watched in The Rental, explore more movies like it. These films feature hidden cameras, voyeuristic threats, and characters whose peaceful lives are shattered by the discovery that their privacy is a lie, leading to tense and violent confrontations.

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Narrative Summary

Stories typically begin with a seemingly normal situation that is fractured by the discovery of surveillance. Trust among characters breaks down as they suspect each other, while an external, often anonymous, threat methodically tightens its grip. The narrative follows a logical escalation from suspicion to direct confrontation, often with bleak outcomes.

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Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on the psychological terror of surveillance, the theme of violated privacy, and the resulting breakdown of relationships under pressure. They create a specific, modern anxiety rooted in technology and voyeurism.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern follows characters arriving at an isolated location, initially enjoying its charms. A slow reveal of something sinister—a local legend, a hostile resident, or a hidden secret—shifts the tone from relaxation to dread. The seclusion that promised escape becomes their prison, leading to a desperate struggle for survival.

Why These Movies?

These films are connected by their central premise of a paradise-turned-hell, the use of an isolated setting to create tension, and the theme of modern anxieties intruding on attempts to unwind. They share a specific, relatable fear of a safe space becoming unsafe.

Unlock the Full Story of The Rental

Don't stop at just watching — explore The Rental in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what The Rental is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

The Rental Summary

Read a complete plot summary of The Rental, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

The Rental Summary

Characters, Settings & Themes in The Rental

Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape The Rental. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.

Characters, Settings & Themes in The Rental

The Rental Ending Explained

What really happened at the end of The Rental? This detailed ending explained page breaks down final scenes, hidden clues, and alternate interpretations with expert analysis and viewer theories.

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The Rental Spoiler-Free Summary

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The Rental Spoiler-Free Summary

More About The Rental

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