The Holdovers - Warmth
Thoughts On: The Holdovers (2023)
A small group of boarding school students are stuck in school over the Christmas holidays with a grouchy supervisor.
The Holdovers is a warm unfurling of nicely realised characters that revives the 80s coming-of-age narrative with class. It holds no surprises and remains lowkey throughout, providing chuckles and some earnest exploration of genuine characters - all supported by solid performances. Its wintery lo-fi vibes lock you into what you have to remind yourself is actually a period piece not shot on film very convincingly. Without requiring beauty, yet also not required to skirt any ugliness, The Holdovers was an extremely pleasant watch with a strong arc that demonstrates the education of self one encounters when trying to teach others how to do in the world.
