One of the most underrated Christmas movies of all time is streaming on Now | Movie | Entertainment

On By Littum

The Holdovers is a 2023 film about sleazy professor Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti) who is forced to stay on campus during the Christmas break with a group of students, including the troublesome Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa) and the school’s cook Mary Lamb (Da’ Vine) Joy Randolph), who mourns the death of her son in the Vietnam War.

The humble teacher forms an unlikely bond with the duo, sharing comedic mishaps during their two weeks together at the New England boarding school.

Over time, they help each other come to terms with their past and form a newfound hope for the future.

Set in 1970 and directed by the acclaimed Alexander Payne – also known for Sideways (2004) and The Descendants (2011) – the film was an overwhelming success.

For her performance as the grieving chef, Da’Vine Joy Randolph won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She was also awarded a BAFTA, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award in the same category.

Paul Giamatti won the Golden Globe for Best Actor and Dominic Sessa received the Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer.

The Holdovers is described on Rotten Tomatoes as a “thought-provoking drama for viewers looking for a dialogue-driven film with a recurring feel”. It was rated 97 percent “fresh” by critics and an audience score of 92 percent. It also achieved a score of 7.9 out of 10 on IMDB.

Despite only being released in January this year, it has quickly become a Christmas favourite.

One fan wrote on Twitter: “Finally got to see The Holdovers… instant classic. So enjoyable. So honest. Loved it.”

Another echoes: “The term ‘instant classic’ gets thrown around so often, but damn, The Holdovers really did.”

A third said: “I’m a year late to the party, but The Holdovers is one of the best films I’ve seen in a while.”

And a fourth commented: “Alexander Payne is a massively underrated filmmaker. Holdovers is phenomenal.”

The Holdovers is now streaming. It can also be purchased on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and the Sky Store.

You can sign up now for just £6.99 a month here.