Arka Mukhopadhyay
Dave Franco’s directorial debut, 2020 movie ‘The Rental,’ mingles genre tropes from thriller to slasher horror. However, the final concoction is amply appetizing to the horror movie fans, thanks to the honest and devoted storytelling. Two couples — Charlie, Michelle, Josh, and Mina — head to a remote vacation rental place for a weekend getaway. The owner’s brother, the caretaker of the home, is seemingly and unassumingly a racist.
The story escalates when their night’s revelry gets out of hand. Meanwhile, danger seems to be lurking close to the house, and upon an accidental death, the tour further veers off the cliff. While we do not get to discern the identity of a killer, the mid-credits scene reveals a pattern in the tale. If you seek to understand the post-credit scene from close quarters, we have your back. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Rental Post Credit Scene
Closely resembling the slasher horror serial killer trope, the finale does not reveal the identity of the killer. While all four die, the killer fixes the room back to its original state. He takes out the showerheads, installing new ones. Cameras also come out of the smoke alarm, and a recording device reveals underneath the plant in the sitting room. On the other hand, we figure that the bulldog, Reggie is still alive. In the post-credit sequence, the killer checks into another bed and breakfast, planting the cameras there in a similar fashion.
The only difference is that the new location seems to be in the proximity of a community, which makes the endeavor a bit more hassle-free. After all, he does not have to chase people through the forest. The post-credit scenes reveal the hidden surveillance footage. People come and go, working in the bathroom, chatting, and making love. They do not notice the presence of the invisible spectator, which sends a shiver through our spines. While the killer peeps into people’s lives, his victims largely stay ignorant.
Who Is The Killer?
As enticing and chilling as the post-credit sequence may be, it still does not reveal the identity of a killer. The killer wears a mask, in the fashion of classic slasher horror villains such as Leatherface or the Jigsaw Killer. However, the pattern in his crime indicates that he studies a location for some time before making it his hunting ground. He has been a peeping tom before the incident involving Charlie and the company, and a prepared one at that. Also, the act of killing only comes second for the killer, as he is primarily a voyeur. However, the story shows that the killer is not hesitant to kill, and he may as well be a serial offender.
Do The Police Catch The Killer?
Following the occurrences of the movie, it is difficult to say whether the police catch the killer. However, the chances of him being caught are thin. Firstly, after the deaths, he removes all the gadgets and cameras that would indicate foul play. Therefore, his identity remains in the dark. Following the crime scene, the police may note that it was an internal incident, looking at the footage on Josh’s phone. The absence of Mina’s body would possibly indicate her to be the killer, especially if the police are keen on racial profiling. However, either way, the killer remains at large, and a sequel will possibly see him coming close to being caught.
Read More: Is The Rental a True Story?
