The Holdovers is a 2023 film about moody professor Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti), who is forced to stay on campus over Christmas break with a group of students, including the annoying 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 grumpy teacher develops an unusual bond with the duo and experiences strange mishaps during their two weeks together at the boarding school in New England.

Over time, they help each other come to terms with their past and forge new hope for the future.

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

Da’Vine Joy Randolph won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of the grieving chef. She also received a BAFTA, a Golden Globe and a 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 Actor.

“The Holdovers” is described on Rotten Tomatoes as a “thought-provoking dramedy for viewers looking for a dialogue-driven film with a retro feel.” It received a 97 percent “fresh” rating from critics and a 92 percent audience rating. It also achieved a rating of 7.9 out of 10 on IMDB.

Although it was only released in January this year, it has quickly become a Christmas favorite.

One fan wrote on Twitter: “I finally got around to watching The Holdovers… a real classic.” So cozy. So honest. I really liked it.”

Another echoed: “The phrase ‘instant classic’ is used so much but damn, The Holdovers really did it.”

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 long time.”

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

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

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