Nicole Kidman has got to be one of the busiest people in Hollywood, because after appearing in several projects last year, her new mystery thriller Holland is set for release on the 2025 movie schedule for those with an Amazon Prime Video subscription. Before that happens, however, Kidman and co-stars Gael García Bernal and Matthew Macfadyen were among those who attended the film’s premiere at SXSW, and critics are sharing their first reactions.
The film from director Mimi Cave stars Nicole Kidman as Nancy, a teacher who believes her husband, Matthew Macfadyen’s Fred, is leading a double life. She enlists the help of her colleague Dave (Gael García Bernal) to investigate, with their own relationship complicating things. Let’s see what the reactions are from the first people to screen Holland.
Nicole Kidman’s Performance Evokes Favorable Comparisons To The Stepford Wives And To Die For
Matthew Creith of Next Best Picture rates it an 8 out of 10, praising the lead actress’ nuanced performance and Mimi Cave’s direction. The critic writes:
Director Mimi Cave’s bold vision and imaginative filmmaking style, much like those she displayed so confidently in her feature film Fresh, are elevated in Holland to Todd Haynes and Douglas Sirk degrees of riveting melodrama. Andrew Sodroski’s script boasts fascinating twists and turns that lead directly to a third-act reveal that escalates into a suburban nightmare at its finest. Kidman and the entire cast are top-notch, buying into what Cave is selling from start to finish with Kidman especially delivering one of her most detailed-specific performances.
Graeme Guttmann of ScreenRant gives it a 7 out of 10 despite some flaws, as Nicole Kidman more than makes up for them. In Guttmann’s words:
Holland has the feel of a suburban melodrama before evolving into a trippy mystery that pulls the rug out from under you. Cave's assured direction creates a sickly sweet, dreamy world, and though its story sometimes lacks the dynamism it needs to fully connect, Kidman, unsurprisingly, carries the film over the finish line.
Not all of those who attended a South by Southwest screening, however, think the lead actress was able to help the movie.
Others Say Nicole Kidman Isn’t Enough To Save This ‘Embarrassing Dud’
Chris Bumbray of JoBlo gives Holland a “Terrible” 3 out of 10 and says it’s the biggest disappointment of his film festival experience. The critic calls it a “kind of embarrassing dud” and hopes all involved move onto better things quickly, writing:
Holland is one of those movies where everyone comes off like a cartoon. Kidman’s Nancy is portrayed as a kind of screwball-style heroine for the first chunk of the movie, with her suddenly changing into cold and calculating before finally ending up as a more traditional lead – all of which is confusing and makes her impossible to invest in. Kidman seems to be going for the same kind of heightened vibe she used (brilliantly) in To Die For, but she isn’t served well by the leaden pacing or confused narrative.
Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com says Nicole Kidman does her best to inject something interesting into this “lifeless affair,” but by the time Holland even attempts anything interesting, it’s too late. The critic gives the movie 1.5 stars out of 4 and says:
Mimi Cave’s Holland is a lifeless affair, a film that defies genre categorization not by virtue of doing too much but because it does almost nothing at all. On paper, it will sound like a thriller, but it’s a film that feels so consistently self-aware that it lacks actual tension. It will also sound like something that needs a dark streak of black humor, something that the Coens could inject into stories of Midwestern murder. But it is shockingly devoid of laughter, coasting along on the fuel provided by an always-game Nicole Kidman but uncertain where to drive her.
Lovia Gyarkye of THR agrees the big reveal comes too late and takes all of the air out of the movie, ultimately overshadowing a trio of good performances and Mimi Cave’s stylish direction. Gyarkye writes:
Holland boasts striking advancements in the director’s style and committed performances from Kidman, Macfadyen and Bernal, but these qualities can’t quite save a narrative fundamentally confused about its purpose. Sodroski’s story hinges on a single, shocking twist that, once revealed (more than two-thirds of the way into the film), hampers instead of helps the third act.
The critics seem to agree there are good and bad things to take from Holland, and we don’t have to wait too long to decide for ourselves which outweighs the other. Nicole Kidman’s newest project is set to hit Amazon's Prime Video on Thursday, March 27.
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