Holland Review : Nicole Kidman shines in this visually striking yet underwhelming crime thriller

Story: When a perfect suburban wife suspects her husband of having an affair, she enlists a friendly colleague’s help to dig deeper and expose him. But their investigation leads them into a twisted tale of dark secrets.

Review: Holland, Michigan, is idyllic, and Nancy Vandergroot (Nicole Kidman) is its ideal resident with her porcelain beauty and perfect family—husband Fred (Matthew Macfadyen) and son Harry (Jude Hill). But beneath the polished facade, Nancy is quietly paranoid—accusing her son’s babysitter of stealing and later suspecting her husband of cheating. Her curiosity turns into suspicion when she discovers stacks of Polaroid images Fred has carefully stowed away, leading her into an elaborate but amateurish plan to uncover the truth. She persuades her friendly colleague Dave Delgado (Gael García Bernal) to help, but the two soon find themselves entangled in a mystery far more twisted than expected.

Holland is a crime thriller with elements of comedy but falls short of doing justice to either. For the most part, it follows Nancy and Dave as they try to uncover Fred’s secret. Andrew Sodorski’s writing and director Mimi Cave’s execution prevent the film from being gripping, and its 109-minute runtime feels longer than it is. Everything is dealt with superficially—Nancy and Fred’s crumbling marriage, her loneliness, Nancy and Dave’s relationship, the sinister secret, and the turn their tale eventually takes. The overarching theme is that appearances are deceptive, but the story and narrative don’t fully support this idea.

Holland is a crime thriller with elements of comedy but falls short of doing justice to either. For the most part, it follows Nancy and Dave as they try to uncover Fred’s secret. Andrew Sodorski’s writing and director Mimi Cave’s execution prevent the film from being gripping, and its 109-minute runtime feels longer than it is. Everything is dealt with superficially—Nancy and Fred’s crumbling marriage, her loneliness, Nancy and Dave’s relationship, the sinister secret, and the turn their tale eventually takes. The overarching theme is that appearances are deceptive, but the story and narrative don’t fully support this idea.

The film has a whimsical and mysterious tone throughout, elevated by cinematographer Pawel Pogorzelski’s sleek, cinematic, and meticulously composed world. Cave shows her flair for the surreal in several sequences—particularly Nancy and Dave’s nightmares, the elaborate train set model, and how it’s juxtaposed with the countryside. However, the underwhelming story and narrative result in visual storytelling that lacks depth. The pacing is uneven, with the first half feeling sluggish, the reveal and conflict wrapping up too quickly, and the ending settling into a more moderate pace.

Nicole Kidman shines as Nancy and exudes the perfect-but-off quality with finesse. She handles the paradox of a pristine appearance mixed with awkwardness and contradictions with aplomb. Matthew Macfadyen carries the air of a respected optometrist while remaining enigmatic. Gael García Bernal is excellent, though his character could have been better developed.

With a flimsy plot and predictable sequences, Holland is not a rewarding experience as a thriller. However, the atmospheric treatment, stylish look and feel, and strong performances serve as its saving grace.