The Holdovers

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2:30

The Holdovers

R

Released Nov 10, 2023

2h 13m

Holiday

Comedy

Drama

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Popcornmeter

97%

Tomatometer

363 Reviews

92%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Verified Ratings

From acclaimed director Alexander Payne, THE HOLDOVERS follows a curmudgeonly instructor (Paul Giamatti) at a New England prep school who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually he forms an unlikely bond with one of them -- a damaged, brainy troublemaker (newcomer Dominic Sessa) -- and with the school's head cook, who has just lost a son in Vietnam (Da'Vine Joy Randolph).

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Critics Consensus

Beautifully bittersweet, The Holdovers marks a satisfying return to form for director Alexander Payne.

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Audience Says

Cute and touching if not laugh-out-loud hilarious, The Holdovers is a thought-provoking dramedy for viewers seeking a dialogue-driven movie with a throwback feel.

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Mark Kermode

Kermode and Mayo's Take (YouTube)

The format may be unsurprising but there is nothing unsurprising about just how good and enjoyable this is... this is the kind of bittersweet, character-dialogue driven piece they just don't do anymore.

Jan 23, 2024

Full Review

David Sexton

New Statesman

It is the genius of Paul Giamatti to make us, over the course of this great movie, not just re-evaluate and learn to respect this mess of a man but actually... to love him.

Jan 22, 2024

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Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

There’s a bracingly astringent bleakness under its surface layer of melancholy humour; a biting, sharp edge that counters the occasional lurch towards sentimentality.

Rated: 4/5

Jan 21, 2024

Full Review

Geoffrey Macnab

iNews.co.uk

Payne and his team recreate the early 1970s in such meticulous fashion that you could be forgiven for thinking the film was actually made 50 years ago.

Rated: 5/5

Jan 17, 2025

Full Review

Justin Brown

Medium Popcorn

I didn't know anything about this film but was completely floored by it. I was happily surprised by this story; the performances, script, and message. We don't get movies like this anymore so I'm very appreciative of this.

Rated: 5/5

Dec 13, 2024

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Brandon Collins

Medium Popcorn

One of my favorite films in recent memory. Between the memorable script, performances, and overall look of the film--I loved every bittersweet moment of this film.

Rated: 5/5

Dec 13, 2024

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mindy

The Holdovers was great

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/11/25

Full Review

chrisc

I love this movie. Even bought the dvd and I almost never buy films anymore. My favorite Giamatti movie after sideways.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/13/24

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Allan B

Recommend. Very touching story that opens the doors to challenging our views of our selves.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/11/24

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Cathy

Good story, well acted, good pace to the movie.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/09/24

Full Review

Jennie S

Authentic and vulnerable, young actor Dominic Sessa performance was surprisingly moving, and stood up against veteran co-star Paul Giamatti, who is so reliably good that we take it for granted that anything he's in is going to be worth seeing--and we're never wrong (royally speaking). Randolph's performance was also noteworthy, although I feel in this movie Sessa is the one who ought to have been nominated for supporting actor--his performance is that good.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/08/24

Full Review

Dina M

It has such a good story of two people that had more in common than they thought. It is a great movie from the teacher perspective. Even the ones that seem lost and have bad behavior can be reached. Don't give up on them.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/27/24

Full Review

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Alexander Payne

Director

Paul Giamatti

Paul Hunham

Da'Vine Joy Randolph

Mary Lamb

Dominic Sessa

Angus Tully

Carrie Preston

Miss Lydia Crane

Andrew Garman

Dr. Hardy Woodrup

The Holdovers: Official Clip - Paul's Harvard Scandal

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The Holdovers: Official Clip - Awkward Christmas

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The Holdovers: Exclusive Movie Clip - Cherries Jubilee

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The Holdovers: Movie Clip - This Is Why I Hate Parties

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Synopsis

From acclaimed director Alexander Payne, THE HOLDOVERS follows a curmudgeonly instructor (Paul Giamatti) at a New England prep school who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually he forms an unlikely bond with one of them -- a damaged, brainy troublemaker (newcomer Dominic Sessa) -- and with the school's head cook, who has just lost a son in Vietnam (Da'Vine Joy Randolph).

Director: Alexander Payne
Producer: Mark Johnson, Bill Block, David Hemingson
Screenwriter: David Hemingson
Distributor: Focus Features
Production Co: Miramax, Gran Via
Rating: R (Language|Brief Sexual Material|Some Drug Use)
Genre: Holiday, Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 10, 2023, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 28, 2023
Box Office (Gross USA): $20.3M
Runtime: 2h 13m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.66:1)

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