In the psychological thriller Holland, released on Amazon Prime Video on March 27, 2025, Nicole Kidman delivers a gripping performance as a suburban housewife unraveling a chilling mystery in the real-life, Dutch-inspired town of Holland, Michigan. Directed by Mimi Cave and written by Andrew Sodroski, the film blends dark humor, suspense, and surreal imagery, drawing comparisons to The Stepford Wives and To Die For. With a stellar cast including Matthew Macfadyen, Gael García Bernal, and Jude Hill, Holland explores themes of suburban complacency, hidden darkness, and personal transformation, set against the quirky backdrop of a town famous for its tulips and windmills. Despite mixed reviews, the film’s evocative atmosphere and Kidman’s magnetic performance have sparked intense discussion, making it a polarizing yet intriguing addition to her eclectic filmography.

A Stellar Ensemble Cast

Holland boasts a powerhouse cast that elevates its twisty narrative. Leading the charge is Nicole Kidman as Nancy Vandergroot, a home economics teacher whose seemingly perfect life unravels as she uncovers her husband’s secrets. Kidman, also a producer through her Blossom Films banner, brings a manic, darkly comedic energy to Nancy, evoking her breakout role in To Die For (1995). Critics have praised her “sharp, unhinged performance,” with The Hollywood Reporter noting that she “breathes life into a uniquely compelling character,” despite the script’s shortcomings. Kidman’s commitment to female directors—she’s worked with 19 in the last eight years—underscores her collaboration with Cave, following her pledge to support women in film every 18 months.

Matthew Macfadyen, known for his Emmy-winning role as Tom Wambsgans in Succession, plays Fred Vandergroot, Nancy’s optometrist husband whose frequent absences raise suspicions. Macfadyen’s portrayal of a “weaponized blandness” and “creepy suburban dad” adds a chilling layer to the story, with Vulture highlighting his ability to “bury dark secrets” behind a mundane facade. His performance, described as “cloyingly aggravating” by PureWow, balances domestic normalcy with an unsettling edge, making Fred a pivotal figure in the film’s mystery.

Gael García Bernal, celebrated for Y Tu Mamá También and Coco, stars as Dave Delgado, a woodshop teacher who becomes Nancy’s confidant and potential love interest. Bernal’s character, a Mexican immigrant in the predominantly white town, brings a layer of alienation to the story, though critics like The Daily Texan noted his arc feels “thrown together” and underdeveloped. Despite this, Bernal’s “charming and intense” performance and his chemistry with Kidman add emotional depth, with Deadline praising their “loveable, offbeat” dynamic.

Jude Hill, the young Northern Irish actor from Belfast, plays Harry Vandergroot, Nancy and Fred’s 13-year-old son. Hill’s performance adds a poignant innocence to the family dynamic, particularly in scenes where he navigates his father’s disturbing influence. Supporting roles include Rachel Sennott as Candy Deboer, a grunge-styled babysitter who appears briefly but memorably, and a roster of lesser-known actors like Jeff Pope, Isaac Krasner, and Lennon Parham, who fill out the town’s quirky community. Sennott’s single scene, described as “sadly underutilized” by Roger Ebert, hints at untapped potential in the script.

Plot: A Twisty Tale of Suspicion and Secrets

Set in the year 2000 in Holland, Michigan—a real town known for its Dutch heritage, tulip festival, and historic windmill—Holland follows Nancy Vandergroot, a teacher and homemaker who embodies the idyllic suburban life. Living with her husband Fred, an optometrist, and their son Harry, Nancy initially revels in the town’s kitschy charm, complete with tulips, clogs, and windmills, as she narrates, “Every day, I get to wake up in the best place on Earth: Holland, Michigan.” However, her contentment crumbles when she suspects Fred of infidelity, triggered by his frequent business trips and mysterious Polaroid photos found in his office.

Nancy’s investigation begins with small clues—a missing pearl earring, a crumpled ticket from Madison, Wisconsin—and escalates as she enlists Dave Delgado, a colleague who harbors feelings for her. Their sleuthing, marked by dark humor and a Nancy Drew-esque enthusiasm, takes a shocking turn when Dave follows Fred to a lake house and discovers he’s not cheating but living a far darker double life as a serial killer. Dave, believing he has killed Fred in a confrontation, lies to Nancy, claiming Fred abandoned the family. When Fred returns during Holland’s iconic Tulip Time festival, Nancy and Harry hide in a motel, where Dave reveals the truth, leading to a violent scuffle that leaves him injured.

In a climactic sequence, Nancy, Harry, and Fred are reunited in the family car, where Fred insists on returning to their “status quo.” Nancy, feigning compliance, distracts Fred by noting Harry’s unfastened seatbelt, allowing her son to escape. She then kills Fred in a brutal fight, using a Dutch clog as a weapon in a moment Kidman described to USA Today as “crazy” yet “delicious.” The film’s ambiguous ending, featuring a voice-over from Nancy and Dave over surreal Dutch imagery—windmills, tulips, and Fred’s model train set—suggests the events may have been a dream or fantasy. Director Mimi Cave hinted to USA Today that Dave might be a figment of Nancy’s imagination, encouraging viewers to “look at it from different angles” to find meaning.

The narrative, set in 2000 to evoke nostalgia with references to Blockbuster, Nokia phones, and Ask Jeeves, draws on the town’s Dutch heritage to create an eerie, almost artificial atmosphere. The script, originally written in 2013 and topping the Blacklist survey, was adapted by Cave to reflect her early-2000s Midwestern roots, adding authenticity to the setting’s kitschy aesthetic—floral wallpapers, ceramic figurines, and ketchup-decorated meatloaf. However, the story’s nonlinear structure and unresolved subplots, like the firing of babysitter Candy, have drawn criticism for feeling “incomplete” and “muddled.”

The Setting: Holland, Michigan’s Unique Charm

Holland, Michigan, is a real town founded by Dutch settlers in 1847, famous for its annual Tulip Time festival, which attracts thousands with its millions of tulips, windmills, and traditional Dutch dances. The film leans heavily into this cultural quirk, filming key scenes at Windmill Island Gardens and incorporating archival footage of the festival, though most production took place in Nashville and Clarksville, Tennessee, from March to May 2023. Production designer JC Molina used lidar scanning of Michigan homes to recreate the town’s aesthetic, with a $1.27 million Nashville house serving as the Vandergroot residence, its 1930s architecture tweaked to evoke the 1980s-90s Midwest. The juxtaposition of Holland’s idyllic facade with the story’s sinister undertones amplifies the film’s Stepford Wives-like tension, though critics noted the Dutch imagery feels more decorative than integral to the plot.

Critical Reception and Challenges

Holland premiered at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival on March 9, 2025, and received mixed-to-negative reviews, with a 21% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 85 critics and a Metacritic score of 42/100. Reviewers praised Kidman’s “manic, comical” performance and Cave’s “distinctive, unsettling” visual style but criticized the script’s “hollow” structure and “recycled twists.” The Guardian called it a “disappointing mess” that squanders Kidman’s talent, while The New York Times noted its “red herring” distractions and lack of narrative coherence. Some, like The Daily Texan, appreciated the sound design’s high-strung violins and the Tulip Festival’s authenticity, but others, including Vulture, argued the film “doesn’t know what it’s doing,” failing to balance its quirky tone with psychological depth.

Fans on social media have been divided. On X, some celebrated the “fun and charming” surreal tone, with one user posting, “Kidman’s adorable in Holland, and the twisty vibe is so weirdly captivating.” Others echoed critics, with a Reddit thread on r/movies lamenting the “slapdash plotting” and “abrupt” ending, suggesting 20-30 minutes of context were cut. A user who attended the Tulip Festival after reading the 2013 script praised its “Fargo-like” authenticity, but others felt the film failed to deliver on its promising setup, with one comparing it to “Don’t Worry Darling if it made even less sense.”

Kidman’s Risk-Taking Career

Holland fits into Nicole Kidman’s bold career trajectory, where she alternates between prestige projects like The Hours and daring, often polarizing films like Babygirl and The Perfect Couple. Her role as Nancy, a woman trapped in a facade of suburban perfection, aligns with her penchant for playing characters on the brink, from To Die For to Destroyer. Kidman’s production involvement through Blossom Films reflects her commitment to challenging roles and female filmmakers, a mission she reiterated to Time magazine, noting the pressure on women directors to be “perfect” on their first release. Despite Holland’s flaws, her performance has been a consistent highlight, with Variety calling it “another fascinating choice” in her risk-taking filmography.

Conclusion

Holland is a visually striking yet narratively uneven thriller that showcases Nicole Kidman’s remarkable range alongside a talented cast, including Matthew Macfadyen and Gael García Bernal. Set in the quirky, Dutch-themed town of Holland, Michigan, the film’s exploration of suburban paranoia and hidden darkness is both intriguing and frustrating, with its surreal tone and ambiguous ending dividing audiences. While Mimi Cave’s direction and the film’s nostalgic aesthetic create an eerie atmosphere, the script’s lack of cohesion and underdeveloped subplots hinder its impact. For fans of Kidman and psychological thrillers, Holland offers a compelling, if flawed, experience, anchored by a cast that brings depth to a story struggling to find its footing. As the tulips bloom and the windmills turn, Holland remains a testament to Kidman’s fearless artistry, even if it doesn’t fully deliver on its ambitious premise.