Holland made me think about all the things I could have done instead during its 1 hour and 49 minute run. With a stacked cast of Nicole Kidman, Gael García Bernal, and Matthew Macfadyen, they were set to make something magical with many fans speculating that this movie had a touch of The Stepford Wives. Instead it ended up being a snore of a mystery where Kidman’s character Nancy needed a hobby more than anything. Because even with her star power, she could not make Nancy a compelling character for one second of the entire hour movie.
What Nancy needed was a new hobby more than anything. Because in the middle of this perfect setting where nothing is wrong with her life, Nancy is still bored. So she creates a mystery in her life and she uses the only brown person in her life to get her kicks off with. Why? Because she wants the picture perfect house but she wants the thrill as well. So she leads Bernal’s character Dave on to the point where he breaks into her husband’s office and they tail him when he’s at a press conference. And it all feels cheap and not compelling because she never cared for Dave. He was a means to an end and she was too much of a coward to admit it. And Dave, he was so one-dimensional, that if I could delete this movie from Bernard’s IMDb, I would.
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At one point in Holland, Dave gives this passionate speech about how he wants to be with Nancy. And she makes the excuse that she can’t because she can’t destroy her son’s life. Dave tells her, “It’s for you, it’s for your nice house, your nice car, your front pew at the church. Your pancake dinners. You want all that, and you want this little excitement on the side. This brown boy that you can play with.” And that right there is what I think Holland did with Bernal’s character from start to finish. He was a set piece for her excitement (and the film) and then he ends up giving the best speech/performance of the entire movie, leaving Kidman in the dust. Sorry, not sorry.
But it gets worse.
Holland goes to paint itself as a woman in a seemingly “picture-perfect town of Holland, Michigan. In the midst of all that, what was the point of including that racist scene? There truly was no need for it. I understand including racism if it’s something that pertains to the film and the situation that they are in. But Dave being an outsider is never an integral part of the movie. So there was no reason for the racism and the homophobia that was thrown his way. And maybe they did it to show that she lived for the thrill, in the midst of people dealing with some real life terrifying stuff. But Holland never followed up on that or the kid being abused. None of it was addressed and her living for the thrill of it, never came full circle.
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By the end of Holland, MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD, when it’s revealed that her husband is murdering women, nothing from the beginning of the movie is paid off afterwards. Honestly, if Nancy really was there for the thrill of it all, she would have joined her husband, Macfadyen’s Fred. She would have asked to participate. Now that would’ve been a twist and made sense when it comes to her wanting a thrill. Instead, she continues to act like she’s in the middle of a self-insert mystery fanfic where she only matters. Literally, Dave went and stabbed Fred and came back to protect Nancy. And she still went “You’re not gonna protect me” and “Let go of my arm or I’m going to scream.” Ma’am, get your priorities checked. If I were Dave I would have left. Instead, he got a major head wound and then disappeared, never to be seen again.
In conclusion
Even at the end of Holland, where Nancy comes out victorious against Fred, there was no emotional resonance to that. She didn’t learn anything. I didn’t learn anything. If anything, I felt awe at whoever did the special effects on Macfadyen’s face after he was shot. That was excellent and I would really like to see the behind-the-scenes of how that was applied on his face. Besides that, Holland was cookie cutter, yet forgettable, and delivered the kind of over-the-top acting and drama you see in telenovelas but if they forgot to add the sazón.
Holland is now available on Prime Video.
