Rent Free: A Relatable Journey Through the Unease of Young Adulthood

Are you really an adult if you haven’t couch-surfed for at least a brief period of your life? As someone who has slept on a friend’s pull-out sofa for a month between apartments, I can attest that bed-hopping from place to place builds character, instills grit, and makes you tenacious! However, the real truth is that no one enjoys taking advantage of someone else’s generosity, especially when it’s out of necessity.

Couch surfing: a rite of passage for many young adults

The film Rent Free, premiering at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival, captures this universal experience of one’s twenties. The story follows two best friends, Ben and Jordan, who devise a plan to live rent-free for an entire year. If they can avoid a proper lease and pick up enough odd jobs, they might even be able to save up for a big move from Austin to New York.

Ben and Jordan, the two friends at the core of Rent Free

Their plan causes an inevitable strain on their relationship, one that could easily grow trite in the wrong hands. But writer-director Fernando Andrés’ graceful touch makes Ben and Jordan’s bond feel special. That distinct perspective and Andrés’ stylistic filmmaking turn Rent Free into an enjoyable—and bleakly relatable—journey through the unease of young adulthood.

Ben’s dream materializes and vanishes in one moment of bad judgment

As Ben and Jordan navigate the ups and downs of their plan, they must confront the weight of their decisions. The film’s soft and sympathetic approach to direction aptly depicts the boys’ creeping malaise. Occasionally, that gentle touch can feel too featherlight, making it difficult to empathize with two characters who should be growing up much faster than they are.

Ben and Jordan’s bond is special

Rent Free doesn’t scream “queer comedy” with the confrontational style of other films in the subgenre, but that’s where it finds its novelty. The story is subtly spun, and that’s what makes it feel all the more realistic. Ben and Jordan don’t talk about their sexualities (Ben is gay with some bisexual tendencies, and Jordan is bisexual but leans straight) so much as live them, and it continues to be refreshing when queerness can come across like a colorful detail as opposed to an objective.

Ben and Jordan’s friendship is enjoyable to watch

The film adds to the steadily growing pile of thoughtful, modest movies leading a new generation of filmmaking for queer audiences who demand stories that reflect their own experiences, and not the whims of culturally detached industry players.

Rent Free: a relatable journey through the unease of young adulthood

That’s not to say there isn’t plenty of potential star power here, because Rent Free brims with burgeoning talent. Treviño and Roberts share the kind of organic chemistry that begs for more collaborations in future projects. Their friendship isn’t just believable, but enjoyable too. Even when they each skirt odiousness, it’s fun to watch them come together to combat their unlikability together, just like real friends do.

Treviño and Roberts share organic chemistry

But it’s Roberts who often steals the show, both when Ben is alone, running delivery orders for Austin gentrifiers who don’t tip him enough, and when he’s trying to make it work alongside his best friend. He has the kind of malleable, expressive face that is destined for comedy, but his talents hold up when the film slants toward drama, too.

Roberts steals the show

During Rent Free’s shakier moments, Roberts defaults to griping and whining, propelling the film back onto steady ground. He makes Ben’s immaturity charming, and that’s exactly what the movie needs to execute its premise. No one wants a couch-crasher who isn’t somewhat adorable!

Ben’s immaturity is charming

But even lovable drifters have to grow up sometime, and Rent Free’s jaunt to that realization will be achingly relatable to anyone who has tried, failed, and repeated the process so many times that full-blown insanity starts to feel like a viable solution. Jordan and Ben never quite reach such fatigued extremes, but where they end up is better. Their listlessness is genuinely pleasant, and suggests that maybe all you need to get over yourself is a friend who will put up with your bullshit on the ride.

Growing up is hard, but someone’s gotta do it