Lara Goane
Published November 23, 2025 4:49pm
Updated November 23, 2025 4:50pm
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Previous Page Next PageNetflix has sneaked a surprise gift under everyone’s tree this year – and it’s already being hailed as an ‘instant classic.’
This time, we aren’t talking about Love Actually or Home Alone, but a recently released, already award-winning Christmas film set in the 1970s.
The Holdovers, which secured an Oscar win, has arrived just in time for festive viewing.
Directed by Alexander Payne, the film has had a remarkable journey since its cinema release.
With a star-studded cast including Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, Brady Hepner and Da’Vine Joy Randolph, it’s no wonder the film is a hit.
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The film’s awards success, including its Academy Award win for best supporting actress, coupled with glowing critical praise, has cemented its reputation as one of the year’s most memorable releases.
Golden Globe winner Paul Giamatti leads this powerful story of the few people left at school over the Christmas holidays(Picture: NBC Universal)
Fans are happy to see the festive film drop just before the cosy nights in begin (Picture: Focus Features LLC/Seacia Pavao. All Rights Reserved)
Since landing on streaming, the reaction online has surged once again, proving the film’s emotional weight and nostalgic charm are connecting with a whole new wave of viewers.
Set in the early 70s, The Holdovers centres on a curmudgeonly classics teacher who ends up having to stay behind at a boarding school over the Christmas holidays, tasked with supervising a handful of pupils with nowhere else to go.
What begins as a bleak, begrudging situation slowly evolves into something unexpectedly tender.
The film weaves humour, nostalgia and gut-punch emotion into a story about friendship, grief and the strange ways people find connection during their loneliest moments.
One thing viewers seem universally drawn to is how authentically the film captures the era.
It doesn’t just look like the seventies – many viewers say it feels like they’re in it.
The film beautifully illustrates how Christmas brings people from all walks of life together (Picture: Focus Features LLC/Seacia Pavao. All Rights Reserved)
The new Christmas classic has earned an 82 score on IMDb, with many fans praising filmmaker Payne for his work.
One viewer, @aharamas, gave the film a spotless 10/10 rating and summed up what so many others have been saying.
They wrote that the film ‘feels and looks like something out of the early seventies’.
Praising it as a ‘strong and warm-hearted piece’ that gives its cast rich, grounded lines without relying on flashy editing tricks or overwhelming special effects.
For them – and for several others – the film’s simplicity is what makes it so striking.
Another reviewer, @johndesando, kept things short but made their feelings clear, calling it ‘one of the best movies of the year.’
The film grossed a whopping 34.7M at the box office (Picture: Focus Features LLC/Seacia Pavao. All Rights Reserved)
Meanwhile, @jjconzales went even further, proclaiming The Holdovers to be ‘a new cult classic.’
What makes this timing especially perfect for Netflix is the film’s quiet, winter setting.
Although not a traditional Christmas movie filled with twinkling lights and joyful reunions, it captures the bittersweet side of the holidays – the isolation, the unresolved feelings and the search for belonging.
Viewers have also been quick to point out how refreshing it is to see a character-driven story in a streaming world crowded with blockbusters, remakes and CGI-heavy spectacles.
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The characters don’t find perfect answers or neatly tied-up endings.
Instead, they stumble toward understanding and comfort, the way real people do.
Will fans be adding this to the annual Christmas movie marathon for years to come?
Stream The Holdovers on Netflix now.
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