The Holdovers

“Consistently hilarious, undercut with melancholy and flecked with profundity.” ★★★★★ Empire

From the director of Sideways and Nebraska, The Holdovers gathers together a motley band of private school students as they are forced to spend the holidays with misanthropic classics teacher Mr Hunham (Paul Giamatti). The only other holdover is the boarding school’s cook Mary (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), mourning the death of her son in Vietnam. As their group dwindles to three, they discover the truth about why each is facing Christmas alone.  

Wringing wry, bitter humour from the rich characterisation, this is an unashamed throwback to the films of Hal Hartley (Harold & Maude, The Last Detail) and other ‘70s luminaries. While never sentimental, it finds deep poignancy from a tale of lost souls. Sure to be an awards contender, it’s also a showcase for Paul Giamatti (Sideways, American Splendor) as delightfully curmudgeonly as he has ever been.