Holland is rated R by the Motion Picture Rating (MP) for some bloody violence, language and brief sexuality.
Holland Review and Ending Explained
Ever think about what it will be like to wake up one day and realize that the perfect life in the suburbs depicted in your TV shows isn’t as perfect as everyone would want it to be? That is exactly what Nancy Vandergroot played by Nicole Kidman has to contend with in Holland, a taut mystery with elements of thriller and comic relief.
Nancy is a loyal high school teacher, a caring mother to a six year old boy named Harry, portrayed by Jude Hill, and a wife to the sensible and supporting husband, Fred portrayed by Matthew Macfadyen, who is an optometrist in their small-town Midwestern community. She is proud to work hard to meet those expectations that are placed on her, not only as a wife but as an independent lady. But when a missing earring takes her down a rabbit hole of doubt, Nancy begins to suspect there’s more to Fred’s business trips than she ever expected. This leads her to do some detective work together with a friendly Detective Dave (Gael García Bernal) only to realize that the more she investigates, the stranger things get. The story begins as an innocent pastime, but soon transforms into a dangerous fixation when Nancy comes to understand the horrifying reality of it all.
The film masterfully leads its viewer into the abyss that is Nancy’s mind. Symptomatic of her psychological deterioration, dream sequences and picturesque scenes that point at the perfectly suburban realm suggest that the charming town of Holland is far from what it seems. Northern Irish writer-director Mimi Cave uses the genre to her advantage, skillfully ratcheting up the suspense for the entire duration of the movie as Nancy’s perfect suburban life unravels. The role that the cinematography plays in making this film so unsettling cannot be overstated: everything looks pristine and very stylized, and yet uncomfortable scenarios and sinister people lurk behind the picturesque facades of suburban America. Each mown lawn and well tended flowerbed contributes to the creeping sense of a deep-seated unease in this small town where everybody appears to be in cahoots with everybody else.
Nicole Kidman stars as Nancy and does a good job portraying Nancy as a slightly odd, old-fashioned-ish woman turning more quickly into a smart lady on a mission as the movie progresses. She perfectly captures the innocence in Nancy and the gradually building confidence that makes the transformation feel realistic. His chemistry with Gael García Bernal is good and Dave’s unshakeable loyalty subverts traditional thriller cliches. Instead of being just a passive character that supports Nancy, Dave propels her forward, making him an essential character to the show’s dynamic. Frederick, played by Matthew Macfadyen, has a significantly sinister personality painted beneath a friendly facade, making him quite compelling to watch. The doomed relationship Stu has with Nancy is one of the most interesting plot lines of the film, based purely on subtext. It reminds me of Edward Norton in Fight Club, he is so calm most of the time that when he snaps he is frightening.
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In addition to that, Holland also hits home in terms of themes. It examines the expectations of suburban life, the stifling nature of a glossy marriage, and the desperate measures one might take to get her life back. It subverts genre cliches and occasionally adds some humorous elements during some of the more tense scenes to make it feel more balanced. Occasionally, these shenanigans of Nancy stir some hilarious and clumsy moments at times and provide a less serious feel to the otherwise tense movie.
There is fun and spectacle to be had in Holland, good performances all around, suspenseful set up and highly stylized look yet the third act is a problem. The ending of the story takes a shocking turn and then reaches a suspenseful climax only to be followed by a tacked-on epilogue that comes across as a needless extra chapter. While the movie presents thought-provoking themes concerning the Midwest appearance and transformation, it fails to expand on these themes by the end of the movie. It is actually a little hard to assess its identity since there is just a hint of darkness but it never fully commits to it, opting for a much lighter plot in the end.
If you liked Gone Girl or Fresh, then you should expect a similarly twisting, edgy, identity-craving read from Holland. A thrilling movie with great appearance and spectacular casting that, however, does not fully explore distinctive material. It may not be groundbreaking but it sure does provide a lot of suspense and mystery. This is the kind of film that will make you sit through the whole thing without disinterest, although you may at times wish the director went a little further into themes he brings up.
Holland 2025 Parents Guide
Violence & Gore: This movie has many suspense scenes and depicts a general tone of psychological suspense.
It has scenes of a physical nature or aggression, which can be intra-family conflicts of an energetic character who subconsciously puts pressure on a partner.
One of the most focused events represents a fight, which leads to spilling of blood. As for any implied violence, there is not much of it, but the consequences are quite disturbing.
Some certain graphic scenes are used to portray a character’s insanity such as dream sequences and flash backs.
A partial adultery scene is prolonged to build up tension before the climax which involves a possible murder.
Profanity: Nevertheless, more recurrent vulgarities as f*** and s*** are employed during tension few moments such as fear or anger.
Some characters use a lot of words and are quite abusive to each other, thus building tension in the film.
Sexual Content & Nudity: There are only latent scenes concerning physical closeness of characters and though there is no nudity at all, some have a rather erotic undertone.
There is an intercourse between two characters but it is not hardcore—there is motion and some noises and one character reveals their breasts.
In some scenes, there is talk of a character cheating and / or suggesting that a character cheat, which leads to the mental breakdown of a character.
This movie contains some themes of sexual conversation and some flirtatious behavior throughout the picture.
Substance Use: There is the use of alcohol in the script as it is portrayed that characters take alcohol during dinner parties and at home.
Several characters are shown to be engaging in alcohol abuse and the characters use alcohol to deal with stress and empty their bottled-up emotions.
In this scene there’s a character who drinks alcohol all by himself in a moment [of] sorrow to enhance the rather gloomy social perspective in the movie.
Final Verdict for Parents: Given its R rating, Holland is best suited for mature audiences. The film contains strong themes of suspense, emotional manipulation, and psychological tension, alongside instances of violence, profanity, and sexual content.
Release Date: March 27, 2025.
Directed by Mimi Cave.
Written by Andrew Sodroski.
Main Cast: Nicole Kidman, Gael García Bernal, Matthew Macfadyen