--- title: "The Holdovers: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-holdovers/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-holdovers" critics_score: 84 critics_reviews: 18 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Holdovers (2023): what the critics said Critics' score 84 from 18 reviews: 18 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. The critics are close to unanimous about The Holdovers, and the spread is narrow: almost every review lands as a warm four stars or thereabouts, with a handful pushing higher and a few festival notices holding back a little. The praise clusters on the acting. Paul Giamatti’s prickly teacher is singled out in nearly every piece, with Da’Vine Joy Randolph’s grieving cook close behind; a few reviews prefer her. Nearly as often mentioned is the period style, which most critics read as a convincing return to mid-1970s American cinema, and many call it Alexander Payne’s strongest work since Sideways. Reservations are mild and mostly about sentiment: The Hollywood Reporter finds it uneven before a strong final third, while The Playlist and The Wrap find it familiar and occasionally schmaltzy. The one real dissent is the Los Angeles Times, where Justin Chang calls the film phony and diagrammatic and objects to its handling of Randolph’s character. ## The Telegraph — Robbie Collin Rating 5/5. 18 January 2024. Festival review. Alexander Payne’s period piece is a profoundly nourishingly funny and moving film, his best since Sideways. The critic praises Paul Giamatti’s awards-worthy performance as the curmudgeonly teacher and the impeccable period style that feels like a dispatch from 1970s cinema. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2023/10/11/the-holdovers-review-alexander-payne/) ## Variety — Peter Debruge Rating Critics Pick. 1 September 2023. Festival review. The review hails the film as feeling like a lost ’70s classic that reunites Payne with Giamatti for a generous portrait of flawed characters. It singles out the humane exploration of class, race, grief and the lead performances for praise. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/the-holdovers-review-alexander-payne-paul-giamatti-1235709680/) ## The AV Club — Manuel Betancourt Rating B+. 26 October 2023. The film is described as a warm, humanist portrait of the need for gentleness that mellows from a grating start into nuanced explorations of trauma, privilege, and connection. The central trio's layered performances and Payne's avoidance of sentimentality are highlighted as strengths. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-holdovers-movie-review-1850958726) ## Financial Times — Danny Leigh Rating 4/5. 18 January 2024. Alexander Payne’s bittersweet nostalgia trip is a highly skilled, sharply intelligent comic drama dressed up as a gooey heartwarmer. The critic singles out Paul Giamatti’s standout performance as the grouchy teacher who makes an old lesson feel new. [Read the review](https://www.ft.com/content/ca1c19d1-a3fc-47ed-ae75-edc0e214e4ff) ## Little White Lies — Lillian Crawford Rating 3/4/4. 16 January 2024. An excellent Christmassy dramedy with witty repartee and strong turns from the leads in a boarding-school holiday lock-in. It avoids saccharine excess thanks to Randolph’s grounded presence amid the privileged setting. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-holdovers) ## Radio Times — Emma Simmonds Rating 4/5. The spirit of the American New Wave lives on in this curmudgeonly Christmas drama with a big heart. Giamatti, Sessa and Randolph complement each other wonderfully in a slow-burn charmer channeling Hal Ashby and Bob Rafelson. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-h3p4px/the-holdovers/) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 27 October 2023. The review praises the finely tuned tale of misfits stranded over the holidays and the force and grace brought by the leading players. It singles out the director’s conclusion of the fable with a handshake rather than a hug. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/11/06/the-killer-movie-review-the-holdovers) ## The Times — Tom Shone Rating 4/5. 18 January 2024. Payne has directed his strongest movie since Sideways, a funny and moving tale of a cranky teacher and pupils marooned over the holidays. The critic calls it a great big warm hug of a movie, immaculately executed and worthy of awards, anchored by Paul Giamatti’s never-better performance. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/the-holdovers-review-a-warm-hug-from-the-team-behind-sideways-06q6twsdr) ## Time Out — Phil de Semlyen Rating 4/5. 7 November 2023. A delightful, loveable answer to The Breakfast Club and an unexpected Christmas gem with a genuine glow. The review singles out Giamatti’s curmudgeonly yet rootable performance and the film’s jaded hopefulness and 1970s texture. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-holdovers-2023) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 27 October 2023. The critic praises Giamatti's standout performance as a prickly teacher whose vulnerabilities and compassion emerge over time. They highlight the film's generous portrayal of its characters without sentimentality. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/the-holdovers-review-paul-giamatti-is-at-his-best.html) ## Empire — Nick de Semlyen 8 December 2023. The critic praises the reunion of Payne and Giamatti as a hilarious yet melancholy return to form and a new Christmas classic. The performances, especially Giamatti's, and the finely tuned 1970s period detail are singled out for their charm and engagement. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/the-holdovers/) ## Evening Standard — Tom Davidson 21 February 2024. The critic describes the film as a charming and disarming heart-warming dramedy that works brilliantly as comedy while offering subtle social commentary. Giamatti's unlikeable-yet-engaging teacher and Randolph's soulful performance are highlighted as the heart and soul of the story. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-holdovers-review-alexander-payne-paul-giamatti-b1112868.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang 26 October 2023. The critic calls the film a clunky, phony white-elephant gift that feels diagrammatic and self-satisfied. He singles out the patronizing treatment of the Mary character and the script’s overstatement for complaint. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-10-26/the-holdovers-review-alexander-payne-paul-giamatti) ## Screen Daily 12 September 2023. Festival review. A wistful 1970-set character study that reunites Payne with Giamatti for a crushingly wistful tale of unhappy characters forming uneasy bonds. It praises the lead performance and the bittersweet tone familiar from the director’s best work. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-holdovers-toronto-review/5185815.article) ## Sight and Sound 16 October 2023. The critic calls it a nostalgic, funny, moving and thought-provoking film that evokes mid-1970s Hollywood cinema and may be Payne’s finest. Strong praise goes to the lead performances, especially Giamatti’s, and the warm yet bittersweet tone. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/holdovers-this-high-school-heartwarmer-no-ordinary-throwback) ## Slant Magazine — Mark Hanson 16 September 2023. Festival review. A warmhearted throwback and leisurely character study saved by strong performances that prevent pure sentimentality. Giamatti, Sessa, and Randolph are praised for their chemistry and insights, with the film attuned to class constraints on its outsiders. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-holdovers-review-alexander-payne-paul-giamatti/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw 21 January 2024. Alexander Payne delivers a terrific, bittersweet throwback to 1970s American cinema about misfits stranded together over Christmas at a boarding school. The critic highlights the achingly sharp performances, especially Da’Vine Joy Randolph as the grieving cook, and the film’s bracing astringency beneath its melancholy humour. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/jan/21/the-holdovers-review-alexander-payne-paul-giamatti-da-vine-joy-randolph) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Stephen Farber 31 August 2023. Festival review. The critic finds the film an engaging but uneven comic drama that builds to a satisfying conclusion. They praise the strong performances, especially Giamatti's, and the understated emotional depth in the final third. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/the-holdovers-review-alexander-payne-paul-giamatti-1235579735/) ## The i Paper — Geoffrey Macnab 19 January 2024. The review highlights Giamatti's magnetic performance as making audiences love an obnoxious character and calls the film magical and affecting. Payne's deft blend of comedy, pathos and meticulous 1970s recreation is praised as awards-worthy. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/the-holdovers-review-paul-giamatti-oscar-2859196) ## The New York Times — Wesley Morris Rating Critic's Pick. 26 October 2023. The critic finds Alexander Payne’s film crackling with pungent life as it strands three sad souls at a 1970s boarding school over Christmas. He singles out the director’s emotional finesse and the sharpness of the comedy and characterizations. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/26/movies/the-holdovers-review-alexander-payne.html) ## HeyUGuys — Linda Marric Rating 5/5. 19 January 2024. The critic finds it a delightful, redemptive story of personal growth, friendship and sacrifice that skilfully navigates the human condition. They single out Paul Giamatti's career-defining, cantankerous performance as a man hiding from his feelings. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/the-holdovers-review/) ## /Film — Barry Levitt Rating 9.5/10. 11 September 2023. Festival review. The critic calls it a marvellous, wonderful movie with perfect performances and a brilliantly layered script. They single out the gorgeous period-accurate look and Giamatti's outstanding lead turn. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1390902/the-holdovers-review-tiff-2023/) ## Collider — Ross Bonaime Rating 9/10. 10 September 2023. Festival review. The Holdovers is one of Alexander Payne's warmest and most big-hearted films, a charming yet melancholy Christmas tale with a great trio of performances. The critic singles out Paul Giamatti's brilliant, deeply felt portrayal of the cantankerous teacher as perhaps his best yet. [Read the review](https://collider.com/the-holdovers-review/) ## Film Stories — James Harvey Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 19 January 2024. The critic calls it the best film of the year and a huge, sweeping waft of cinema. They single out the achingly good story, three standout performances, and how it feels like a nostalgic, unapologetically cinematic movie from another era. [Read the review](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/the-holdovers-review-pure-cinematic-soup-for-the-soul/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 September 2023. Festival review. Payne delivers one of his best with this warm, funny and poignant story of three lonely people forming an unlikely family over Christmas break at a boarding school. The critic singles out Paul Giamatti’s perfectly cast, brilliantly delivered lead performance as the curmudgeonly teacher. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2023/09/the-holdovers-review-alexander-payne-paul-giamatti-family-telluride-film-festival-1235534101/) ## The Skinny — Zoe Crombie Rating ★★★★. 15 January 2024. The film balances retro fun with harsh emotional realism and succeeds while critiquing privilege. It centers on the relationship between a sarcastic teacher and a troubled student, with standout performances from Giamatti, Sessa, and especially Randolph as the grieving cook. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/the-holdovers) ## The Playlist — Gregory Ellwood Rating B-. 2 September 2023. Festival review. The critic sees it as prestige comfort food that is genuinely funny with well-rounded characters and spot-on '70s nostalgia. They single out the aesthetic collaboration evoking a lost relic from the decade. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/the-holdovers-telluride-review-alexander-payne-paul-giamatti-reunite-for-a-70s-nostalgia-dramedy-20230902/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 September 2023. Festival review. The review finds the film a sweet, good-looking throwback that is familiar and occasionally schmaltzy but wistful and heartwarming, with a pleasingly inviting period style and strong emotional arcs. It singles out Randolph's stirring performance as the film's best element and the cozy, grainy 1970s aesthetic. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/the-holdovers-review-alexander-payne/) ## Paste — Katarina Docalovich Rating 9.0. 26 October 2023. The critic praises the film's shift toward sincere, nuanced nostalgia and its well-developed screenplay that balances comedy and drama. Strong performances from the lead trio, especially the natural bond between the jaded professor and the troubled student, are highlighted as making the story feel earned and cozy. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/alexander-payne/the-holdovers-review) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-holdovers.md