SXSW 2025: Nicole Kidman Stuns in Mimi Cave’s Holland — A Twisted Domestic Thriller Worth the Hype
Coming out of SXSW with a flurry of positive reviews, Mimi Cave’s sophomore film Holland stars Nicole Kidman as Nancy Vandergroot, a docile homemaker with a seemingly perfect life. She’s wholly dedicated to being a mother, a wife and a pillar of her quaint little community in suburban Michigan. That is, until she discovers her husband might be hiding a disturbing secret.
Cave cemented her reputation as a filmmaker to keep your eye on when she debuted with Fresh in 2022 starring Daisy Edgar Jones and Academy Award nominated actor Sebastian Stan. With a thriller like Fresh under her belt, it’s safe to assume going into her latest film that something sinister lurks beneath the surface. But what is Nancy’s husband hiding? And what will she risk in order to uncover his secret?
When we meet Nancy, she’s accusing her son’s high school babysitter Candy (Rachel Sennott) of stealing a single pearl earring from her jewelry box. It’s clear to us that Nancy is starved for excitement, having spent ages being lulled into domesticity by the colourfully small town of Holland. She’s quick to jump to conclusions and, as a result of said boredom, cooks up capers to awaken a sense of purpose, which seems to have been long dormant.
Once she suspects her husband might be having an affair, Nancy plucks her fellow teacher Dave Delgado (Gael Garcia Bernal) out of the friend-zone to help her solve the case. The two soon find themselves wildly out of their suburban bubbles, leaving their ordinary worlds behind for a stab at masquerading as private investigators. Soon enough, their friendship blossoms into something more, leaving us torn on whether we believe Nancy’s husband is really having an affair or if she’s cooking all of this up as a way to justify her own.
Hot off the heels of a glorious run on some of this decade’s greatest prestige television, Matthew Macfayden plays Fred Vandergroot, a quirky optometrist who goes to a lot of conventions for a doctor in his particular field. Though far from his character in HBO’s Succession, Macfayden joins Kidman and Garcia Bernal in delivering a wildly gripping performance. Macfayden’s presence on screen is laced with a particular nuance that is sure to leave audiences guessing on whether they can trust him, and whether he’s the man Nancy believes him to be.
Like a simmering teapot, Holland takes its time finding the right pace to hook audiences in. The first two acts of the film feel like a completely different movie, throwing a wrench into its kooky caper and pivoting in a jaw dropping twist only filmmakers like Cave can contrive. It’s a perfect example of how directors enjoy misleading their audiences, coaxing them down a peaceful path with sweets only for them to realize they’ve landed in the belly of the beast.
Kidman continues to wow the world with her devoted explorations of complex women, particularly mothers and wives. Though in her latest endeavour, she plays a woman far different than any other character whose shoes she’s worn before—or should we say clogs? Kidman is always bold and relentless in her dedication to her craft. It’s interesting to see how she tackles such a dutiful character who is desperate to break free from her mundane routine in search of something more. The final act of Holland will leave you breathless and having to peel your eyes from the screen as the twists twist on. Cave has delivered another thrilling story and audiences should look forward to what she does next!
Watch the trailer for Holland below
Holland streams globally on Prime Video on March 27th, 2025
[Review by guest blogger Jurgen Sosa]