Holland

2025   Amazon Prime Video

Rated:  R

Length:  1 hr  49min

Drama ~ Suspense ~ Thriller

Directed by: Mimi Cave

Starring:  Nicole Kidman, Matthew Macfadyen, and Gael García Bernal

“Some things only look perfect.” (Like the trailer for this movie)

 SYNOPSIS:

In this wildly unpredictable thriller, Nicole Kidman is the meticulous Nancy Vandergroot, a teacher and homemaker whose picture-perfect life with her community pillar husband (Matthew Macfadyen) and son (Jude Hill) in tulip-filled Holland, Michigan, tumbles into a twisted tale. Nancy and her friendly colleague (Gael García Bernal) become suspicious of a secret, only to discover nothing in their lives is what it seems.

REVIEW:

NO offence meant to any Dutch people

or the fine folks of Holland, Michigan.

The following commentary is strictly my impression of the movie. And that wasn’t a very good impression. Nancy and Fred Vandergroot are two very white, cornbread white, nerdy goodie goodie two shoes people living a very vanilla white life in their very wallpapered house in a very white, apparently very tulipy community where the big excitement is making soda and milk or eating at the diner, or perhaps some bowling.

Ok, I’ll cut to the chase. Creepy people and creepy music……and not in a good horror movie type of way, ….and a plot and story that moves slower than molasses. And right at the very end it reveals it’s big secret, but you’ve already guessed it and it is way less than anti-climatic. Nicole Kidman’s character is about as bland as cornstarch and water, and just about as emotional as a biscuit. What was with her splattering ketchup all over her pretty apron? Was that supposed to be a hint at things to come? And the weird dreams? Just weird.

And Fred…oh my, you betcha! Ok Nance. I couldn’t hang with this boring white guy for a second….and I’m white! Oh wait, Hey Nance…I’m gonna go play with my train set, you betcha! Oh and Dave Delgado….”I’m sorry Nancy but if you want this brown meat you’re going to have to commit…”What? Really? Silliness. And when Dave pops in on Fred doing his after work activity…..that was a fight and real life battle? Seriously? It looked like they were play acting….

It’s billed as a drama suspense thriller but the only suspense and drama for me was waiting around to see what this was all leading to, like pulling teeth. It was not thrilling at all, like the Vandergroots it was pretty boring.

Don’t waste your time…it’s a dog. In fact I give it two woof’s. WOOF WOOF!