
The Holdovers
Discomfort and joy.
Directed by Alexander Payne
Produced by Miramax, Gran Via Productions
A tender, melancholic character study about three isolated people finding unexpected warmth and meaning in each other during a lonely winter.
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.
Clusters
Where to watch
Questions people ask
Is The Holdovers sad? Yes, very. More sad than 96% of films.
Is The Holdovers scary? Barely. Less frightening than 84% of films.
Is The Holdovers easy watching? Yes. More comforting than 77% of films.
Is The Holdovers violent? Not especially. Less violent than 74% of films.
Does The Holdovers end with hope? Somewhat. More hopeful than 65% of films.
These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.
Written about
Cinnamon Score
How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.
Distinctly its own thing.
How unlike any other film this one feels
How much more it delivers than it promises
How much audiences actually like it
Ensemble












Everything like The Holdovers, and what each one shares →
Like The Holdovers
Nearest across the full emotional profile.
Same Mood as The Holdovers
Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.
Like The Holdovers, But Darker
Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.
Like The Holdovers, But Lighter
Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.
Like The Holdovers, But Less Popular
Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

















































