In the new film "Holland," Nicole Kidman ("Babygirl," 2024) plays a pretty housewife baking meatloaf dinners for her husband and teenage son, and teaching home economics at the local high school. Her ordinary life of suburban peace gets a little wacky when she loses an earring, thinks it's been stolen, and discovers her husband might be keeping a naughty secret.
Holland is a mystery about what happens when you look behind the facade of domestic perfection. Because of this facade theme, "Holland" is kind of like the films "Pleasantville" (1998) or "The Stepford Wives" remake (2004). It's also similar to the feeling you get when you're lying in bed at night falling asleep in the dark, because it's boring. The whole time I was watching this I kept thinking, "What is this film even supposed to be?" If it's a comedy, it isn't funny. If it's a thriller, it's far too mild. And if it's a forbidden romance, there's no believable passion.
No one acting in this film looks like they're having any fun, and the screenplay doesn't give any of the actors anything interesting or juicy to sink their teeth into. Nicole Kidman does manage to give some dimension to her role, moving from youthful curiosity to anxious obsession to frightened desperation. But her emotionally articulate performance is nowhere near what's needed to keep "Holland" exciting.
When this film ended, I felt so unsatisfied. Like the feeling you get when you go to a diner, order a grilled cheese, and wait for 25 minutes. When the waitress finally returns to your table, she says, "So our kitchen has ran out of cheese, butter, and bread. But we did find an old tortilla in the dumpster outside for you. Enjoy your meal." That's the feeling I had watching "Holland." Don't give me a new release on Amazon Prime, filled with colorful design elements of a Dutch-themed town in the Midwest, and convince me it's a film worth watching.
Director Mimi Cave ("Fresh," 2022) doesn't push "Holland" hard enough into any discernible direction, mood, or genre. It's a little bit like a murderous thriller, a little bit like a yearning romance, and a little bit like the kitschness of a miniature golf course. And all the surprises in this film, centered around an elaborate train set, are surprises people have already seen before. So many plot developments are tired in this film, I thought I was watching an extended episode of "Desperate Housewives" or "How to Get Away with Murder." When browsing your streaming services at home, I promise you can skip this one.
