Nicole Kidman’s latest venture, Holland, directed by Mimi Cave and streaming on Prime Video, had all the right ingredients to be a compelling domestic thriller. With Kidman’s knack for playing emotionally complex women and Cave’s sharp visual storytelling, the expectations were understandably high. Unfortunately, the film never quite delivers on its promising premise.
In Holland, Kidman portrays Nancy Vandergroot, a seemingly perfect suburban wife in the Dutch-inspired town of Holland, Michigan. Her life — framed by prim hairstyles, pristine dinner tables, and model family moments — begins to unravel when she suspects her husband Fred (played by Succession’s Matthew Macfadyen) of cheating. But her suspicions aren’t based on hard evidence — just an eerie gut feeling and a series of surreal dreams that blend the real town with the model village Fred obsessively builds in their garage.
Enter Dave (Gael García Bernal), Nancy’s colleague and potential love interest, who joins her in a covert investigation into Fred’s whereabouts. The plot meanders through dream sequences, cryptic symbolism, and long, brooding scenes that emphasize mood over clarity.
While Holland positions itself as a psychological thriller, it stumbles under the weight of its eccentricities. Director Mimi Cave, known for her acclaimed debut Fresh (2022), aims for a Lynchian vibe, layering surreal imagery over suburban monotony. But the film ultimately lacks the tension and payoff needed to make its twist impactful.
The script, penned by Andrew Sodroski, had been in Hollywood limbo for nearly a decade — and it’s easy to see why. Despite a stylistic setting (the film takes place in the year 2000 for nostalgic flair), the narrative feels thin. Themes such as small-town racism, marital discontent, and immigrant isolation are briefly touched upon, then abandoned. The film spends nearly 80 minutes meandering before finally ramping up to a chaotic twist that feels more exhausting than shocking.
Macfadyen is charismatic in his quiet menace, echoing traits from his Succession persona, while Bernal is underutilized, and Kidman, as always, commits fully to her role. Yet, even her performance can’t elevate the film beyond its aesthetic surface.
Set against the quirky backdrop of a Dutch-American town famous for its tulip festival, Holland looks like a thriller but lacks the emotional depth and narrative clarity to truly grip audiences. It’s a case of style over substance — a glossy, dreamlike facade with little underneath.
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