'Holland' SXSW review: Nicole Kidman caught in a stylish thriller that takes awhile to get where it’s going

Courtesy of Prime Video/SXSW

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Twisty revelations and buried secrets unfold in the Michigan-set thriller “Holland,” but director Mimi Cave’s stylish follow-up to her Sundance sensation “Fresh” takes its sweet time to show its cards. By the time it does, the pacing may have already lost the audience, leaving many wondering what the ultimate payoff is. At its best, “Holland” channels the eerie vibes of “The Stepford Wives” mixed with the glossy charm of “Pleasantville” and the early '90s erotic thriller sheen.

Nicole Kidman leads the charge, and it’s hard to deny that she’s one of the hardest-working actors in Hollywood these days. Whether it’s her viral AMC “We come to this place for magic” bumpers, her electrifying turn in “Babygirl,” or headlining entertaining but ultimately forgettable streaming series, Kidman consistently delivers.

She shines as Nancy Vandergroot, a suburban housewife with a sneaking suspicion that her husband might be cheating. Kidman is well within her wheelhouse here, playing a loving and caring mother who always wears a big smile and a carefully curated appearance, all while living in a community she adores.

While the film was mostly shot around Clarksville, Tennessee, Cave and screenwriter Andrew Sordroski do a solid job of giving a shout-out to the mitten state with plenty of references to Zendher’s (be sure to try the chicken dinner!), Allegan, and Zingerman’s, while capturing the Dutch heritage so central to the Holland area that’s predominantly known for its annual tulip festival. In that sense, Michiganders will feel seen and represented, but narratively, they might be left wondering what it all amounts to.

Visually, “Holland” certainly looks the part, thanks to Pawel Pogorzelski’s captivating cinematography. He creates a world that feels isolated for Nancy as she navigates the mounting tension of her situation. Given that Pogorzelski is the same talent behind “Midsommar,” “Beau is Afraid,” and “Hereditary,” the uneasy sense of horror feels intentional, even as the film drags toward the finish line.

The first half of “Holland” is all buildup, and you just have to trust those steering the ship to take you somewhere unexpected. The story centers on Nancy’s hunch that her husband, Fred (Matthew Macfadyen - solid), the local optometrist with a massive train set he works on with their son, Harry (Jude Hill), is having an affair. There’s no concrete evidence—just classic woman’s intuition. She teams up with her colleague, Dave (Gael García Bernal, fine but underused), to investigate, leading them down a rabbit hole that takes several unexpected detours before finally landing on its biggest twist.

But by the time the reveal happens, the movie is almost over. While the twist works in theory, it’s hard not to wonder why it took so long to get there. Cave’s decision to set the film in the early 2000s feels more like nostalgia bait—sure, it’s fun to see a Nokia phone or gaze at old Little Caesars pizza boxes—but it doesn’t do much for the story. The visual style, while impressive, doesn’t quite match the suspense the script is trying to build and instead leans toward audience frustration rather than satisfaction.

And that’s a bummer because “Holland” had all the makings of one of those classic thrillers Kidman built her career around and that people really cherished. The film has its heart in the right place, and Michiganders are well represented, but I wish that translated into a movie with a bit more substance. I wish like Cave’s last film, “Fresh,” “Holland” had a little more meat on the bone.

Grade: C 

HOLLAND premiered at the SXSW film festival. Prime Video will release the movie on March 28th.