Holland (2025)

Lacklustre Thriller - Holland review by GI

On the surface this is a classic domestic thriller but it has a surreal, picture postcard vibe and is, sadly, a disappointing film, messily structured and utilises its talented cast rather poorly. For no reason that can be fathomed it's set in the small Michigan town of Holland, giving plenty of opportunity for scenes of windmills and people walking about in Dutch national dress and clogs (which are used in a handy way later in the film). It's also strangely set in 2000 and I can only suppose so in order to restrain the use of modern technology to keep the plot vague. Nicole Kidman plays Nancy, a suburban wife and mother and teacher in the local school, she is very 'Stepford Wives' in appearance and manner but underneath she has the paranoia and unsaid nervousness of a woman unfulfilled even though she is doted on by her smarmy and handsome husband, Fred (Matthew MacFadyen). He's the local optometrist in the town. Nancy is suspicious of Fred's many trips away from home and suspects he's having an affair. She recruits fellow teacher, Dave (Gael García Bernal), who fancies her, to help catch Fred out. They go to extraordinary lengths to try and do so eventually discovering something much darker. This all takes far too long and leads to a climax that becomes obvious too quickly. Dave, as a Mexican immigrant, faces some racism when the plot demands it and pointlessly so. I can't help think this probably looked a better project on paper than it does on the screen although it's another example of Kidman's support for female directors which I applaud. sadly, though this is a forgettable film.