The Holdovers Movie Review

Released: 19th January 2024 (UK)

Length: 133 Minutes

Certificate: 15

Director: Alexander Payne

Starring: Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa and Da'Vine Joy Randolph

The sense of respect and accountability that grows between people can often form the backbone of a successful drama, especially teachers and their students. By taking a more old-fashioned approach and focusing heavily on story and characters, The Holdovers is a brilliant flick that will thoroughly entertain viewers.

Much like Dead Poets Society before it, The Holdovers is all about a group of impressionable boarding school students and the strong bond that grows with their teacher Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti). In this case, it’s a single teenager named Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa) left behind for the holiday season with little in the way of parental guidance. Placed under Hunham’s supervision alongside the dinner lady Mary Lamb (Da'Vine Joy Randolph), the Christmas of 1970 plays host to a compelling drama that packs in plenty of humorous moments along the way. Angus learns a great deal about himself and his absent family with Paul taking on the role of a father figure; through discipline, honesty and unexpected moments, the film never loses sight of the central narrative. Equally impressive is how the film takes place mainly in one location (Barton Academy) and it still keeps the audience invested.

The central performances are incredibly deep and multi-layered, an essential part of any drama. We have a trio of excellent actors that hold up the entire plot from start to finish. Paul Giamatti is so well suited to the main role; between his wide-eyed expressions and sarcastic comments, the performance is one of the best he has ever delivered. The actor also handles the dramatic elements with great nuance; The classics teacher clearly has a fair few regrets in his life, despite sharing his high intelligence with anyone who will listen. Dominic Sessa makes his big screen debut in The Holdovers and he does an equally brilliant job, portraying Angus with a carefree and rebellious angst. As the film goes on, the impact of his rather dismissive upbringing comes to light, resulting in many poignant moments.

Last but not least is Da'Vine Joy Randolph as Mary Lamb who starts off as an unassuming cafeteria manager, but quickly brings her own helpful advice to bear. Beneath her friendly and honest demeanour lies a sense of understated grief; this creeps into several scenes, drawing out our empathy over time. Even the side characters, namely the other students who eventually leave the scene, have their own unique characteristics; differences in age and background are often used to enhance the comedy. The cast has outstanding chemistry and this allows their bonds to grow stronger and stronger across the runtime. By the end, you feel the deep care they have for each other, even if the ultimate outcome is less than ideal for Paul.

As The Holdovers begins, some viewers will take note of the older Universal ident and opening credits; this is a clear indicator of the film’s aspirations as it adopts a less-is-more approach. The snowy atmosphere and Christmas decorations quickly set the mood, simple costume work and language grounds the story in the 1970s and the music sticks to a few simple notes and instruments. Some of the camera angles add to the humour; early on when Angus disobeys Paul on purpose, a set of corridor shots leading into the school gym is highly effective. By leaving these elements in the background, the production allows the lead performers to shine through.

The Holdovers serves up an excellent coming-of-age tale, one that invests you fully in the characters while delivering one great joke after another. The performances and writing are impeccable, making the film a must-watch for every audience.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars (Brilliant)