Holland
Cinema currently has an affinity for mind-bending thrillers starring female protagonists having breakdowns or identity crises. These include the magnetic Skye Riley played by Naomi Scott in Smile 2, Amy Adams as the maternal hound in Nightbitch, and Radhika Apte’s fantastic performance in Sister Midnight. It’s not a surprise that Nicole Kidman has also taken a role within this cinematic space of blurring the lines between reality and delusion with Mimi Cave’s Holland. What at first appears to be a story of a picture-perfect family disrupted by the husband’s seeming infidelity, leads to a series of morally complex and gruesome events. Kidman stars alongside Matthew Macfadyen and Gael García Bernal in this feature that follows Nancy, a teacher, mother, and the dutiful wife of Fred, whose mistrust and paranoia shifts to her husband. She begins to suspect him of having an affair, roping her co-worker Dave into scheming to unravel Fred’s double life while accumulating several unsavoury secrets of her own.
Holland is creepy in that it checks off a list of horror-movie tropes scene by scene. From the use of children’s toys and animals to mysterious silhouettes seen through small gaps and tight spaces; the picture is rife with spine-tingling imagery that ups the tension and anxiety. It’s visually unsettling with its constant use of framing and symmetry, complemented by an excellent score and sound design. However, the true highlight is the actors. Macfayden as Fred is down to earth and menacing. This dichotomy in his character will leave the audience charmed and terrified. Bernal and Kidman are a fascinating duo. Their combined idiosyncrasies and reckless decision-making add humour to Holland and are a much-needed break from the constant twists and turns thrown at the viewers. Dave and Nancy also have a Macbeth and Lady Macbeth dynamic that drives home this theme of guilt and the extremes people go to when riddled with such a powerful emotion.
Where the film falls apart is the script’s need to overexplain the characters. This insistent use of casual conversation to foreshadow the coming events completely shatters immersion in Holland. The third act, save for the ending line, is a fantastic mess; it’s chaotic and suspenseful. But the lead-up to it feels unearned because the earlier dialogue has given too much of it away already. There’s an inherent lack of trust in the audience throughout the feature and this severely cripples its ability to capitalise on the more thrilling and exciting sequences of the story. The ending is the worst offender of all, undermining the mystery aspect and killing the overall suspense of the third act with just one line, rendering the entire plot pointless. Moreover, because the script persistently dictates the characters’ thoughts through conversation, there’s no room for nuance in the actors’ performance, which is a shame for a talented cast like this.
Holland is visually stylish with its vintage pastel colours and lack of light contrast, thematic with the Dutch-founded city the film is set in. This juxtaposes with the dark and severe tone of the plot and characters, adding further to the eeriness of it all. For all its try at suspense, intriguing twists and turns, and charismatic cast, Holland is unfortunately weighed down by an overzealous script that undermines the mystery.
Mae Trumata
Holland is released on Prime Video on 24th March 2025.
Watch the trailer for Holland here:
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