The Holdovers was a very refreshing story to see come out in 2023. Cinema has been active for over a century at this point, and the industry is constantly changing and evolving. Filmmakers don’t want to keep repeating the same stories, they want to create something original, but when you reach the point that we’re at today, where so many movies have been made, a lot of today’s movies can become overly meta or bloated.
Film in recent years has been labeled under a new wave of “meta-modernism” filmmaking. One symptom of meta-modernism is focusing a story on the “love of movies” or just the movie industry in general. Films like Babylon, Once Upon a Time In Hollywood, or The Fablemans are examples of this. These movies are more prevalent now than ever before, and for the most part, their themes are generally well-received by audiences.
However, some have complained that it has become too much lately. Not every movie needs to be about making or watching movies, and it has become the hip thing to do for both up-and-coming and veteran filmmakers. I personally don’t see a problem with it, but it’s creating an interesting trend in the film landscape that’s worth pointing out.
Another symptom of meta-modern films is films becoming more complex, layered, and sometimes even overly complicated or bloated. Films like Everything Everywhere All At Once, Barbie, or Spiderman: Across The Spiderverse have so many ideas and concepts all combined into just a single film. They tell stories with so many things going on, and they have so much to say in the time that they are given. They are definitely original movies, and I really enjoyed all of the aforementioned examples. But this method of filmmaking can also lead to films becoming just convoluted.
Having a film that combines a million ideas just for the sake of creating something original can be a lot. So it’s refreshing to see a movie like The Holdovers taking a step back, and just telling a simple, classic story, with emotion and heart. The film tells a coming-of-age tale of a bitter old man and a rebellious teenager being forced to bond with each other during undesirable circumstances. It seems generic, and it is, and that’s what made this movie so engaging to me. It’s so rare to see modern movies with this element of simplicity to it, and it honestly works to the movie’s benefit.
The Holdovers isn’t a story about an antihero exploring the multiverse that is actually a meta-commentary about oppression faced in Hollywood. The Holdovers is just a simple, great, emotional story with good characters, touching cinematography, drama, tension, and good pacing. It’s a nice movie with a nice vibe. It truly feels like a movie from a different era, especially with it taking place in the 1970s.
But I have to commend it because it was one of my favorite movies of this year, and one that I’m really passionate about. It’s receiving critical acclaim, and it might signal to the film industry to take a step back toward more simple and emotional stories. It’s an important film, and one that's worth seeing just for the enjoyment of seeing it.
Comentarios