REVIEW SAINT ARTICLE
By Joel Grimsley, Arts Editor & Jordan Beaubois, News Editor
Holland Premiere at the Knickerbocker theatre in Holland – Photo by Phil Gawel of WWMT
Released on streaming at Amazon Prime on March 27, Holland, a new thriller starring Nicole Kidman and directed by Mimi Cave, which is set in Holland, Mich. is receiving mixed reviews online and by locals and viewers.
The film follows Nancy Vandergroot (Nicole Kidman) as her picture perfect life with her husband and son in Holland begins to fall apart as she becomes suspicious of her husband’s secrets. The film describes itself as a “twisted tale” referring to horrors hidden in what it presents Holland as, a Dutch fairytale-like utopia.
The movie has a split personality, with the first act being an amusing but confusing mystery, as Nancy investigates her husband while going through iconic locations in Holland with the occasional comedic hiccup. While the film is set in 2000, the time seems inconsistent as the Dutch traditions and the use of technology sometimes makes it feel more like the 1970s. The second half turns the film into a thriller, with disturbing and gory scenes backdropped simultaneously by the famous Tulip Time Festival in Holland.
The film at the time of writing has a rotten tomatoes score of 28%, with an IMDb score of 5.1/10 and a diverse pool of opinions, ranging on Google Reviews from “awful,” “slow” and “sloppy writing” to “great acting,” “entertaining” and “thrilling.”
Despite the mixed reception, Hollanders were given the opportunity to get a first look at the film before it hit streaming, with a sold out show at the Knickerbocker Theatre in downtown Holland on the evening of Mon. March 24. More than 500 people watched the early viewing, attended by both the film’s Director, Mimi Cave, and Holland Mayor, Nathan Bocks.
The film was partially shot in location, and showcased iconic sights such as the Windmill Island Garden, where Kidman’s character Nancy discusses her suspicions of her husband’s affair in the fully functioning Dutch windmill. The rest of the film was shot in Tennessee around March 2023. While Cave said that they would have liked to film more on site, the lack of Holland in Holland was due to the lack of funding.
Holland’s poster – Photo found on Wikipedia
Those familiar with Holland as a place, may find seeing the iconic and familiar shots on the big screen nostalgic and entertaining, but most likely would find the portrayal of a utopia of Dutch culture and practices as naive, reductive and lacking nuance. Whether it is worth watching depends on the viewer’s taste. If you enjoy a thriller that is able to create both drama and tension with an unpredictable second and third act, this quirky film will definitely keep you at the very least entertained but maybe a little confused too.
Viewers should note that anyone who is intrigued by this film with the intention of giving it a thorough viewing should note that the movie does have depictions of blood, violence, partial sexual nudity, and is overall not suited for younger audience members.
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