Mark Llobrera
The Holdovers cover image

The Holdovers

Year
2023
Watched
Jan 19, 2024
Rewatch?
No

This was the big word-of-mouth recommendation at Christmastime with the family, so I’m glad I finally got around to it. The 70s-era affectations—fake dust on the “film” print, the title typefaces, the Roman numeral date—made me think of tv’s Poker Face. The three leads (and Carrie Preston) do great work even if the script occasionally broadcasts things too loudly WRT the main themes: Vietnam, race, class, grief, mental health. The brief holiday interlude offers a tiny bit of hope for each character, but only just. When Tully lopes awkwardly across the snow you wonder if he actually registers the depth of what has happened, or whether he’ll forget things in a few weeks.