Nicole Kidman delivers a haunting performance in Holland as Nancy Vandergroot, a woman whose picture-perfect life hides a quiet, creeping despair. A devoted mother to young Harry (Jude Hill) and loyal wife to well-respected optometrist Fred (Matthew Macfadyen), Nancy seems to have it all. But behind her polished smile and poised demeanor is a woman quietly unraveling, yearning for meaning beyond the roles she's expected to play.
By day, Nancy teaches life skills—ironic, given that her own life feels devoid of purpose. Her confession to Dave Delgado (Gael García Bernal), the woodshop teacher she’s secretly in love with, is quietly devastating: “My life is like carbon monoxide. It’s so sleepy and comfortable, I don’t even know that I’m suffocating.” It’s a line that encapsulates the entire tone of Holland—a slow burn of emotional repression, longing, and awakening.
As Nancy becomes increasingly entangled with Dave, the film explores what it means to truly live versus merely exist. The chemistry between Kidman and Bernal is electric yet restrained, echoing the tension of two people caught between obligation and desire. Meanwhile, Macfadyen’s portrayal of Fred adds another layer—he’s kind, attentive, and utterly blind to his wife's inner turmoil.
Director Lila Neugebauer uses muted palettes and lingering camera shots to evoke a life of suburban monotony. Each frame feels like it’s holding its breath, much like Nancy herself. And when the cracks finally begin to show, the emotional payoff is quiet but shattering.
Holland is not a story about betrayal or melodrama—it’s a story about a woman waking up. And in Kidman’s steady hands, Nancy’s journey is both heartbreaking and deeply human.