Holland – Movie Review | Prime Video (3/5)

HOLLAND on Prime Video is a new thriller starring Nicole Kidman. It comes from the director of FRESH, so expect the unexpected. It may seem like a drama with some comedy, but we’re covering it for a good reason. Read our full Holland movie review here!

HOLLAND is a new Prime Video thriller starring Nicole Kidman, living a seemingly idyllic life in Holland, Michigan. Of course, we’re not covering this movie because it’s about a homemaker leading an idyllic life.

Trust me when I tell you that this movie definitely belongs on our website. Also, believe me when I tell you that you’ll have to be patient to discover exactly what’s going on. Look beyond what’s obvious and on the surface. That’s when it gets a lot darker.

Continue reading our Holland movie review below. Find it on Prime Video from March 27, 2025.

This is not The Stepford Wives 2.0

When Holland begins, it’s easy to draw a comparison to another movie Nicole Kidman starred in back in 2004. The character of Nancy Vandergroot (Nicole Kidman) does seem very reminiscent of her role in The Stepford Wives.

However, this movie is not that!

Not the character, the world, the storyline, or anything else. And it won’t be too long before you recognize that Holland is not The Stepford Wives in a 2.0 version. Having said that, the world Nancy exists in does seem to almost aspire to the same level as those iconic Stepford Wives.

There’s the classic focus on all things Dutch, as the town is obviously settled by people from the Netherlands, aka Holland. It’s a town of windmills, wooden clogs, and traditional garments for various parades.

Actually, Holland technically refers to two regions (North and South) in the Netherlands, but that really isn’t relevant to this story.  What is relevant is that Nance is about to discover that the man she married is keeping a secret.

She cannot bear knowing that he’s keeping a secret from her without getting to the bottom of it, so she starts investigating. And this is where things will ultimately take a very dark turn.

If you liked Fresh, you should enjoy Holland

For quite some time, Holland does seem like a dramedy of sorts. We’re following Nicole Kidman portraying a homemaker and teacher. She teaches that archaic kind of class about how to be a good wife. Despite this movie taking place around the year 2000.

Anyway, Nancy is happy enough, but clearly not as happy as she could be. Also, despite having lived in the town for a long time, she is still a newcomer.

This leads her to strike up a friendship with the new teacher, Dave Delgado (Gael García Bernal), who sticks out like a sore thumb in this very white town. And yes, it will lead to racist attacks once everything begins to crumble and the pretty surface shows cracks.

Still, that’s more of a drama storyline than a thriller or even a horror story.

Well, that won’t last.

Before Holland is over, you will realize that this movie is very much a genre movie. One that has a sinister side that I never saw coming. Neither did Nancy or Dave, and Nancy’s husband, Fred Vandergroot (Matthew Macfadyen), was perfectly happy to keep everything a secret.

While the twist is nothing like Fresh, I still feel that the vibe and evolution of the story are ideal for those who liked that movie.

Watch Holland on Prime Video now

As already mentioned, Holland comes from the director of Fresh. Her name is Mimi Cave, and she has a brilliant way of lulling the audience into relaxing before hitting us with a sledgehammer of a twist.

In Fresh, Sebastian Stan (co-starring with Daisy Edgar-Jones) was the one delivering the twist, here it’s Matthew Macfadyen, though one could argue that Nicole Kidman delivers quite a few surprises before things get that far.

For Holland, the screenplay comes from Andrew Sodroski. He previously co-created the Discovery Original series Manhunt about various true crime criminals. Also, he’s writing on season 2 of Poker Face.

Whatever you’re expecting from Holland, just let it unfold and enjoy the ride. It was a bit too long for my liking, but the character-driven storyline with gorgeous twists and a great cast made for a very entertaining movie.

Holland is out on Prime Video from March 27, 2025.

Details

Director: Mimi Cave
Writer: Andrew Sodroski
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Matthew Macfadyen, Jude Hill, Gael García Bernal