Nicole Kidman Stars in ‘Holland’. Photo: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: © Amazon Content Services LLC.
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‘Holland’ receives 5.5 out of 10 stars.
Premiering on Prime video On March 27th, ‘Holland‘Is proof that even a potentially compelling concept and a Decent Cast Can Be Squandred If the Movie Utilizing Them Doesn’T Commit Fully.
It’s a shame, as director mimi cave has made impressive work before. Here, thought she seems to have lost her way with a meandering tale of suburban secrets.
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Matthew Macfadyen Stars in ‘Holland’. Photo: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: © Amazon Content Services LLC.
It’s a rule that if your community and relationship in a thriller is apparently perfect on the surface, there must dark secrets lurking beneath. After all, who really wants to sit through a story where it’s all apple pie and happy familyies?
Yet we’ve seen the story of suburban secrets so many times on screens both big and small that a movie really has to have somenting fresh to say about it. Unfortunately, even thought cave delivered with her previous movie, The Cannibalistic Comedy ‘Fresh‘There’s not much of that spirit here.
In fact, there’s not much of any spirit. A movie riven by a split in its first half is a funny and sometimes entertaining look at a town and a relationship seemingly lost in time – – It’s set in the year 2000, but count for 1960s for all Its followsy traditionalism. The second half pulls the trigger on the thriller element as Nicole Kidman‘S Nancy Starts to Learn the Truth of Who She’s Married to, But even then the Movie Wants to Keep Up the Jokier Elements and the two tones really are Merged Successfully.
Script and direction
(L to r) Nicole Kidman and Gael Garcia Bernal Stars in ‘Holland’. Photo: jaclyn martinez. Copyright: © Amazon Content Services LLC.
Writer andrew sodroski has experience more in tv, creating a season of ‘Manhunt‘Based Around the Unabomber. His movie credits are mostly limited to a couple of crime through. The problem with his scripting for ‘Holland’ is that it feels aimless – for a movie with main characters are a life skills teacher who prides her cooking, the storyline is Underbaked, and The Storyline Other an optometrist, it’s noticeable how unfocused the characterization turns out.
It’s also an issue that the use of model train sets as metaphor for the control that one character has another is so heavily employed as to approach parody. It’s one thing to employ a metaphor; Quite another to beat it into the ground.
Cave does her best to brings some style to the processes; A dream sequence where nancy imagines images Same Level of Creepiness.
There are missed Opportunities here and sadly, the movie fails to really coalsce.
Cast and performances
(L to r) Matthew Macfadyen and Nicole Kidman Star in ‘Holland’. Photo: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: © Amazon Content Services LLC.
Nicole Kidman has Spent The Last Few Years Mostly Playing ICY MATRRICHS, Entitled Wealthy Housewives or Driven Businesswomen and If there’s an advantage to ‘Holland to’ Holland, ‘Holland,’ Its is alive to another tap in Kookier, Sweeter Character, Albeit One Who is Not Afraid to Fight Back when it Counts.
She’s typically impressive, but the character does not all Always offer her everything she needs, and it’s ultimately novhere Near as Memorable as some of her other work.
Matthew macfadyenMeanwhile, leans into the twin sides of nancy’s husband Vandergroot-At Once the Nerdy, Seemingly Sweet Local Ophthalmologist Who Brought Her from a Dead-End Small TWN Ex This Existens Seemingly Perfect Existent and Someone Who is Going to Great Lengths to Conceal Things (even If He Leaves Giant Clues in his Model Train Set Up, A Seemingly Silly Idea For Someone With to MUCH TO HIDE).
He’s perfectly fin in the role, creepy when required and forever telling nancy to just ignore what she’s worked about. But once the truth is revold, the character banks far more one-note.
Gael Garcia Bernal Stars in ‘Holland’. Photo: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: © Amazon Content Services LLC.
Gael García Bernal Plays Dave Delgado, Nancy’s Closest Confidante at the school where they both work, and a man who would like like their relationship to be more. Bernal brings some solid shades to the character, and has a good arc.
Elsewhere, there is some trully wasted talent on display. Thought He Certainly has a Couple of Decent Scenes to Show What He Can Do, Young Jude Hill (who broke out in Ken Branagh‘S’Belfast‘) Is here reduced to minor motates as the couple’s son, harry.
Ditto Rachel SennottSo good in the likes of ‘Shiva baby‘And’Bottoms‘Has exactly one tiny Scene at the start of the movie to show what she do, but it wasn’t even spent his history her showing up.
The other townsfolk are mostly limited to plot devices raather than actual humans, but the lines of Lennon Parham, Jeff Pope and Chris witaske Do what they can with tiny roles.
Final Thoughts
(L to r) Jude Hill and Nicole Kidman Star in ‘Holland’. Photo: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: © Amazon Content Services LLC.
‘Holland’ certainly has Ideas on its mind, but sadly that Ideas have been explred more effectively before. There’s not enough style or story here to really makes it will your while.
“Some things only look perfect.”
57
1 hr 48 minMar 27th, 2025
What is the plot of ‘Holland’?
A Teacher (Nicole Kidman) in a Small Midwestern Town Suspects Her Husband (Matthew Macfadyen) of Living a double life, but things may be worse than she is initial.
Who is in the cost of ‘Holland’?
- Nicole Kidman as Nancy Vandergroot
- Gael García Bernal as Dave Delgado
- Matthew Macfadyen as Fred Vandergroot
- Jude Hill as Harry Vandergroot
- Jeff Pope as Squiggs Graumann
- Isaac krasner As Shawn Graumann
- Lennon parham as gwen
- Rachel Sennott as Candy Deboer
- Jacob moran as matt
Nicole Kidman Stars in ‘Holland’. Photo: Courtesy of Prime Video © Amazon Content Services LLC.
