A few weeks ago while I was on vacation in Palm Springs I had the pleasure of watching IFC’s “Rent-A-Pal.” The film has been under embargo until today, and I’m very happy to recommend it for your viewing, available in select theaters and on demand, September 11th.

Since we went on lockdown I have found myself navigating toward two types of media. First and foremost I wanted to watch things that were like comfort food. “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “The Golden Girls,” “Schitt’s Creek,” “Call Me By Your Name,” “The X-Files,” to name a few. As the months went by I started to add on some indie films such as “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” and “Shirley.” I also managed to watch a ton of incredible films through Outfest: Los Angeles, being reminded again how incredible independent films can be.

Since summer started, “Tenet,” Christopher Nolan’s latest was lauded to SAVE MOVIES. Pushed back, and pushed back, it has finally made its way to cinemas. Not Los Angeles cinemas, but cinemas nonetheless. I can tell you flatly that I have almost no interest in seeing it. I will certainly not be driving to an open theater to risk my comfort level, and from what I am gathering from twitter (heaven help me) even the people who say they like it don’t really seem to like it that much. But, to each his own. I felt the same way about “Inception,” but of course I saw it eventually. I loved “Dunkirk” and thought it should have won many more Oscars than it did but my favorites of Nolan are actually the “lesser” “Interstellar” and “The Dark Knight Rises.”

Anyway…this is not about Nolan…and of course I will see it once I get a screener. This is about an antithesis to “Tenet.” Not a review, but a recommendation.

“Rent-A-Pal” is part of IFC Midnight, directed by Jon Stevenson and starring Brian Landis Folkins and Wil Wheaton.

Set in 1990, a lonely bachelor named David (Brian Landis Folkins) searches for an escape from the day-to-day drudgery of caring for his aging mother (Kathleen Brady). While seeking a partner through a video dating service, he discovers a strange VHS tape called Rent-A-Pal. Hosted by the charming and charismatic Andy (Wil Wheaton), the tape offers him much-needed company, compassion, and friendship. But, Andy’s friendship comes at a cost, and David desperately struggles to afford the price of admission.

The film is a blast. It’s the Radio Rental podcast meets Tinder. And for anyone delving into the dating world, this will get your brain ticking.

If you want to watch, you can do so virtually with more information here: IFC's Rent-A-Pal

In the meantime, enjoy the trailer!

Brian recommends - Rent-A-Pal