Holland (2025) | REVIEW

NICOLE KIDMAN stars in HOLLAND — PHOTO: JACLYN MARTINEZ / PRIME.

Directed by Mimi Cave — Screenplay by Andrew Sodorski

In 2022, Mimi Cave’s debut feature FRESH, a thriller about dating with a wicked twist, was one of the, ahem, freshest surprises of the year. Naturally, this always makes you curious about the director’s next step. For her sophomore effort, Mimi Cave dropped her first film’s very modern narrative and feel in favor of an early 2000s narrative set in a quirky Michigan suburbia. Cave’s Holland is a psychological drama with thriller elements that is set in Holland, Michigan (hence the title), which is a town settled by Dutch-Americans and which prominently displays its Dutch cultural identity with tulip fields and windmills. The film follows Nancy Vandergroot (played by Nicole Kidman), a teacher who is starting to suspect that her husband, Fred (played by Matthew Macfadyen, is living a double life on his many work trips. To figure out what is going on, she teams up with a colleague, shop teacher Dave Delgado (played by Gael García Bernal), to spy on her husband and investigate his optometrist office. However, in that process, Nancy may have bitten off more than she can chew, as her husband’s secrets aren’t exactly what she expected, while, at the same time, she starts having an affair with Dave.

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REVIEW: Werewolf By Night (2022)

Gael García Bernal as Jack Russell in Marvel Studios’ WEREWOLF BY NIGHT, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2022 MARVEL.

Directed by Michael Giacchino — Screenplay by Heather Quinn and Peter Cameron.

Since the launch of Disney+, Marvel Studios has pumped out a plethora of straight-to-streaming series. It has, honestly, been a little bit overwhelming at times, and not all of the shows are equally good. One of the things that excited me about this streaming service, and the potential for Marvel Studios on it, was the general idea that this gave Marvel an opportunity to break from their formula and try new things. To give examples, Marvel has done that somewhat with Ms Marvel but also with She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, which is this sitcom that doesn’t take the overall universe as seriously as most of the Marvel films do. With Werewolf By Night, Marvel Studios has released their first so-called ‘special presentation.’ This is essentially a Halloween special just like how we know a Christmas special is coming down the line from James Gunn and the Guardians of the Galaxy cast. And think outside of the box they certainly have, as Marvel Studios have hired their frequent composer Michael Giacchino to direct for them on the streaming service. and this special presentation proves that if they need a director for a future feature-length theatrical project, then Michael Giacchino could very well be their guy. Werewolf by Night is surprisingly good.

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REVIEW: Coco (2017)

US Theatrical Release Poster – Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

The following is a review of Pixar’s Coco — Directed by Lee Unkrich.

“Our dead are never dead to us until we have forgotten them,” English novelist Mary Ann Evans once wrote under the pen-name George Eliot. That tiny quote encapsulates a fear we all hold. That we will be forgotten once we are no longer here, and that we could forget the loved ones that have passed away. Continue reading “REVIEW: Coco (2017)”

REVIEW: Mozart in the Jungle – Season Two (2015)

Mozart in the Jungle - Review

The following is a review of the second season of Amazon Studio’s Mozart in the Jungle, available on Amazon Video, and on Viaplay in Denmark.

When Mozart in the Jungle won the Golden Globe for ‘Best Series – Musical or Comedy’ in 2016, I have to admit that I was a bit stunned. I had never heard of the show, but I was intrigued by it when I saw Gael García Bernal grab his award for ‘Best Actor – Musical or Comedy’. Bernal was the guy I chose to binge-watch both seasons in three days for, and season two of Mozart in the Jungle really relies heavily on his performance and character. Mozart in the Jungle: Season Two is really, really good. Continue reading “REVIEW: Mozart in the Jungle – Season Two (2015)”

REVIEW: Mozart in the Jungle – Season One (2014)

Mozart in the Jungle - Review

The following is a review of the first season of Amazon Studio’s Mozart in the Jungle, available on Amazon Video, and on Viaplay in Denmark.

Based on the memoir of Blair Tindall, Mozart in the Jungle is a ‘dramedy’ featuring beautiful classical music. Set in New York City, the show follows Hailey Rutledge (Lola Kirke), a young and talented oboist, who is suddenly given an opportunity to shine on one of the grandest stages of them all. Meanwhile, it is a time of massive change as a legendary conductor (Malcolm McDowell) makes way for a new, far more eccentric, edition (Gael García Bernal) at the Avery Fisher Hall.  Continue reading “REVIEW: Mozart in the Jungle – Season One (2014)”