Best friends since childhood, Ben and Jordan are two young men living in a rapidly changing Austin, where they navigate low-paying jobs, fraught relationships, and their own emotionally codependent friendship. When they suddenly lose their apartment, they come up with a last-ditch plan to spend the rest of the year “rent free”. They set out on a tragicomic journey across the couches, floors and guest rooms of their friends while desperately trying to save up enough money to leave behind a city they no longer recognize and flee for the promised land of New York City.

Made with a satirical bent and an ensemble cast, RENT FREE is a high-anxiety comedy about a generation on the edge, as well as a poignant exploration of male friendship and a city in flux.

For in-depth thoughts on Rent Free, please see my colleague Cameron Ritter’s review from its original theatrical release here.

Video Quality

Rent Free debuts on Blu-Ray with a great 1080p video presentation that exhibits the film exactly as intended. The presentation provides a valuable amount of depth within each place the pair finds to stay. The production design elements, along with the fabrics of the clothing, provide clear textural details to make each space feel more tactile. Flesh tones are natural with a notable amount of detail present in close-ups. Highlights are firm with no instances of blooming to be found, and the black levels hold up well with no obvious signs of crush or banding. The image is crisp and clean with the natural color palette saturating well. The film provides the occasional splashes of vivid colors within certain design choices. The high definition master delivers on all fronts, and the encode reveals virtually nothing in the way of compression artifacts or macroblocking. Cinephobia Releasing has treated this one well.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray provides a sturdy DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that executes the soundscape without a hitch. Dialogue is the focus of the experience, and it comes through clearly without being overshadowed by any competing sounds. The music in the film is similarly balanced and maintains its fidelity as it establishes a welcoming tone. While the budget on this one might be on the small side, there does not appear to be any obvious deficiencies when it comes to how the sound was captured.

This is not a movie that demands a lot from the low end, but the environmental sounds of the world spark life within the speakers in subtle yet narratively effective ways. When the characters are ambling from room to room, there are some nice ambient details that flesh out the space. A few sound effects engage the low end with some texture, but it is not a standout in this regard. This is a delightful audio presentation for viewers. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Writer-director Fernando Andrés, lead actor Jacob Roberts, and surprise guests from the cast and crew provide a fun and informative commentary track in which they discuss the production, getting help from friends and family, elements from the film they had to improvise, aspects they included from their personal lives, how the script evolved, and more that makes for a solid listening experience.

Behind the Scenes Featurette: A five-minute piece that gives a look at the production through snapshots.

Knowing Me, Knowing You Short Film: A 16-minute short film is provided in which a newly single guy eavesdrops on the conversations held by his roommate who works from home as a therapist, which leads to some obsessive notions.

Theatrical Trailer (1:48)

Final Thoughts

Rent Free is an amusing, occasionally anxiety-inducing look at post-college aimlessness and the complexities of friendship. There are times when the characters will have you yelling at the screen, but the situations are so amusing that you will forgive them for their shortcomings. The two central performers have good chemistry with one another which helps aid the story along. A few sequences feel a bit repetitive, but overall, it is an enjoyable and promising feature from artists we are excited to see develop. Cinephobia Releasing has released a Blu-Ray featuring a strong A/V presentation and a valuable array of special features. If you enjoy awkward comedies with flawed characters, be sure to give this one a shot. Recommended

Rent Free is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Vinegar Syndrome.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Cinephobia Releasing and Vinegar Syndrome have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.