Holland: Terrible Performances and Aimless Storytelling

This is, without question, one of the most shockingly inept films I’ve seen in recent years. It’s a frustrating experience from start to finish, lacking any clear direction or sense of purpose. The film never settles on what it wants to be, juggling themes and tones so carelessly that the result feels more like a collection of conflicting ideas than a cohesive narrative.

While the movie initially grabs your attention with strong visuals and the promise of an intriguing story, it quickly unravels. The script introduces several potentially rich subplots, only to abandon them without resolution. These loose threads give the impression of depth but ultimately contribute nothing to the emotional or thematic core. Instead of building toward something meaningful, the film continues to spiral, dragging the viewer through a maze of half-baked ideas.

The acting does little to elevate the material. Nicole Kidman, surprisingly, delivers one of her weakest performances in recent memory. Her character, Nancy, is not only poorly written but also remarkably uninteresting, especially disappointing given Kidman's proven talent. Fred, a character who initially seems like he might provide emotional weight or narrative intrigue, ends up underdeveloped and completely wasted. No other performance stands out enough to compensate, leaving the ensemble feeling flat and disconnected.

Perhaps most frustrating is the film’s structure. Just when you think it’s finally wrapping up, it inexplicably introduces new plot points, extending the runtime unnecessarily and testing the viewer’s patience. These late-stage twists lack impact, feeling more like padding than purposeful storytelling.

To its credit, the film does offer some visually striking moments. There’s a clear eye for aesthetics from the director, and certain scenes are beautifully framed. Unfortunately, style without substance can only go so far. The cinematography may draw you in at first, but without a solid foundation to support it, the film quickly loses momentum and fails to deliver on its initial promise.

In the end, what could have been a compelling, introspective drama is instead a disjointed, tone-deaf mess. With clumsy writing, inconsistent tone, and wasted talent, this film collapses under the weight of its own ambition—and never recovers.