In the gripping 2020 horror thriller ‘The Rental,’ actor Dave Franco of ‘The Disaster Artist‘ fame makes his feature directorial debut. The plot follows four members of a family on a vacation to a lonely coastal property. Past secrets are revealed, and the family is on the point of disintegration. Meanwhile, they detect another presence in the house following an unintentional death.
The mystery surrounding the site adds to the suspense, while the natural sound and ambience provide a degree of foreboding intrigue. However, the twisting finish must have left you scratching your head. Allow us to guide you to the bottom of the mystery if this is the case.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.
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‘The Rental’ (2022) Movie Plot Synopsis
Mina, Charlie’s colleague and Josh’s new girlfriend, is discussing their impending trip with Charlie. Josh, meantime, arrives on the scene to give Mina a ride home. Michelle, Charlie’s long-time lover, beams with pride for Josh, whose life appears to have taken a turn for the better.
Josh appears to have had a difficult adolescence, spending time in jail, but his life appears to be improving after the appearance of Mina. The next day, Josh and Mina appear on Charlie’s doorstep, accompanied by Reggie, the dog.
Josh, Mina, and the dog are in the backseat as Charlie, Michelle, Josh, and Mina drive to the rental location. Mina shows Charlie her Facebook profile and asks whether it’s a little too much. Meanwhile, Mina is furious with the rental property’s owner, who appears to be a racist.
While he turned down Mina’s request to rent the spot, he accepted Charlie’s request an hour later. Taylor, the owner’s brother, is the Cliffside Home’s host, as the brother lives usually outside of town. He tells about how crazy the stars are around there, and he agrees to bring the telescope if Michelle chooses the topic.
While Mina is upset about the cancellation of her booking, Charlie suggests going for a walk along the beach while arguing with Josh about a pun. Josh asks Michelle if she is uncomfortable with Mina mixing it up with Charlie on the hike, but Michelle understands their “creative thing.”
The night quickly spirals out of control as Michelle unwraps the gift (MDMA). While Josh passes out from too much drinking, Michelle takes a rain check. Mina and Charlie take a bath in the hot tub, which shifts the action to the shower.
Michelle and Josh are ready for the hike the next day, but Mina and Charlie aren’t feeling well. Meanwhile, Mina uncovers cameras planted in the showerhead, but they misplace Josh’s dog, Reggie, while trying to figure out what to do. Josh advises against calling the cops because it might expose their affair, but Michelle may have a suspicion based on their chat about Charlie’s unfaithful habit.
When Taylor arrives to fix the hot tub, Mina becomes enraged once more, prompting Josh to beat him up. They subsequently find Taylor dead in the woods, while we sense another presence.
Is Taylor Dead at the End of ‘The Rental’ Movie? Who Was Responsible for Taylor’s death?
After a tour of the bathroom, Charlie confirms that the homeowner’s brother, Taylor, is dead. Mina threatens him with the cops after showing him the cams. Taylor tells them that he had no involvement with the cameras and that he would gladly inform the authorities.
Mina, on the other hand, does not want to become involved with the police after Charlie’s warning. A scuffle develops as Mina tries to steal the phone from Taylor. As Josh enters the washroom, he notices the scenario and misinterprets it as Taylor injuring Mina.
Josh tosses Taylor into the tub and continues to punch him. Mina apologises for the situation’s escalation while they’re out on the front porch. The film cleverly includes a sequence in which Taylor is suffocated to death by a gloved hand.
Although Josh has expressed regret for his role in the murder, we can be certain that he did not murder Taylor. Looking at Charlie’s black trousers, which are the same as the killer’s, the viewer might suspect him for a second. He has the motive, and he is skilled enough to carry it out. However, the killer, who is not Charlie, is revealed at the end.
The killer remains hidden beneath the mask, and the film never reveals his true identity. He is serially motivated, as he takes his devices from the house and instals them in another rented location in the finale. It’s possible that the killer is Taylor’s brother, but it’s a long shot.
He may be familiar with the area and its rental properties, and murder is not his primary motivation. He tapes the lodgers with the cameras and may even stream it online. With his armoury of weapons, including the hammer, which he uses to break skulls, he appears to be a person who will not hesitate to murder if the situation demands it. Given that we appear to be in the company of a serial killer, a sequel may be on the way.
Are Michelle, Charlie, Josh, and Mina Alive or dead?
Charlie, Mina, and Josh attempt to dump Taylor’s body off the cliff after he dies. Michelle, on the other hand, feels guilty and refuses to be an accomplice in the murder. She instead goes out into the house, where she discovers a camera feed of Mina and Charlie doing the nookie in the cellar room.
Michelle is enraged and drives away, wanting to leave others stranded. Charlie pursues her, but he is powerless to stop her once she admits to knowing about Mina and Charlie.
Meanwhile, Charlie conceals Michelle’s finding and instructs the others to locate the control room. Josh, who has been primed, rushes to the scary room beneath the house with a code locking mechanism.
Meanwhile, Charlie goes outside after receiving a text message from Michelle informing him that she had crashed the car. Spikes were placed on the side of the road by the killer, which caused the accident.
It may be too late by the time Charlie arrives on the scene. Charlie discovers Michelle’s body after following the light from the phone. Meanwhile, the assailant emerges from the woods and attacks Charlie. Josh cracks the door latch with a single kick as he dies. There are no monitors in the basement, where he discovers unusual images.
They return to the house, where the assailant is hiding in the shadows. With a strike to the head, he attacks Josh and ensures that he is dead. Mina tries to flee the assassin, which leads to a cat-and-mouse pursuit through a misty woodland.
However, she loses her way in the fog and falls down the cliff’s edge. All four are killed, and the killer flees the scene, leaving the bodies to be picked up by the cops. While Taylor and Mina’s remains have been washed up on the beach, the bodies of the other three are still strewn throughout the house.
Is Reggie The Dog Alive or Dead?
Mina and Charlie lose the dog because they are too preoccupied with reflecting on their previous night’s deed and investigating the mystery of the secret cameras. Josh searches the house for the dog, but the canine is nowhere to be found.
Later, when Taylor comes by to look at the hot tub, Josh inquires whether he owns the dog. However, Taylor did not kidnap the dog, and the property had a stringent no-pet policy, to begin with.
Taylor, on the other hand, has two dogs at home and promises Josh that he would not report them for bringing a pet. He also hopes that the dog is found. However, as the night progresses, we begin to lose sight of the dog. However, the killer is revealed to be the owner of the dog in the closing scene.
He opens the mask at the crack of dawn and takes a moment to stare up at the sky. The dog appears and sits in front of the killer, and we get the impression that the dog is the only one who survives the trip.