The Holdovers (2023)
Kernel Score: 86% · 2,401 ratings · Rated R
Genres: Comedy, Drama
Released: 2023-10-27
Runtime: 133 minutes
Is The Holdovers worth watching?
Must-watch. A prickly teacher, a troubled student and a cook stuck on campus over Christmas. It's funny, warm and old-fashioned in a good way, with great performances and a gentle bite.
Watch it if you
- like character-driven comedy-dramas
- enjoy 1970s-set movies with a cozy feel
- want a Christmas film that isn't saccharine
Skip it if you
- want fast plot twists
- dislike slow, talky films
Best for: Cozy winter night
Fresh Kernels verdict, AI-assisted from our scores, audience reviews and the official rating.
Where to watch The Holdovers
- Stream: Peacock
- Free with ads: Fandango at Home
- Rent: Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube
- Buy: Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube
US availability, updated 2026-10-23.
Overview
A curmudgeonly instructor at a New England prep school is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually, he forms an unlikely bond with one of them — a damaged, brainy troublemaker — and with the school’s head cook, who has just lost a son in Vietnam.
The Holdovers parents' guide: ages 15+
Parents need to know that The Holdovers is an R-rated drama dealing with grief, alcoholism, and mental illness set at a boarding school during the Vietnam War era.
- Violence & scariness: A little — Themes of grief and loss, including a mother mourning her son killed in Vietnam, though not depicted graphically.
- Language: Moderate — R rating suggests strong language consistent with a gritty 1970s-set drama.
- Drinking, drugs & smoking: Moderate — Alcoholism is a significant theme involving one of the main characters.
Fresh Kernels AI-assessed from the official R rating, publicly documented content. A guide for families, not an official rating.
Movies like The Holdovers
If you liked The Holdovers, these are the movies we'd watch next.
- Dead Poets Society (1989) — 91%: Teacher changes the lives of boarding-school boys.
- Nebraska (2013) — 83%: Alexander Payne's other character-driven road trip with wry humor.
- Sideways (2004) — 79%: Payne's wry comedy about flawed people with real heart.
- The Chorus (2004) — 86%: Gruff teacher transforms troubled boys at a boarding school.
- It's a Wonderful Life (1946) — 91%: Christmas-set drama about second chances and human connection.
- Manchester by the Sea (2016) — 84%: Grief-heavy drama about an unlikely bond, with much more sorrow.
Director
Cast
- Paul Giamatti as Paul Hunham
- Dominic Sessa as Angus Tully
- Da'Vine Joy Randolph as Mary Lamb
- Carrie Preston as Miss Lydia Crane
- Brady Hepner as Teddy Kountze
- Ian Dolley as Alex Ollerman
- Jim Kaplan as Ye-Joon Park
- Michael Provost as Jason Smith
- Andrew Garman as Dr. Hardy Woodrup
- Naheem Garcia as Danny
The Holdovers FAQ
Is The Holdovers worth watching?
Must-watch. A prickly teacher, a troubled student and a cook stuck on campus over Christmas. It's funny, warm and old-fashioned in a good way, with great performances and a gentle bite.
Where can I watch The Holdovers?
In the US you can stream The Holdovers on Peacock, watch it free with ads on Fandango at Home and rent it from Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play and YouTube.
Is The Holdovers OK for kids?
The Holdovers is rated R. Fresh Kernels suggests ages 15+. Parents need to know that The Holdovers is an R-rated drama dealing with grief, alcoholism, and mental illness set at a boarding school during the Vietnam War era.
What movies are like The Holdovers?
If you liked The Holdovers, try Dead Poets Society, Nebraska, Sideways and The Chorus.