Is Holland movie based on a true story? Explained
Holland is a psychological thriller that was released on Amazon Prime Video on March 27, 2025. Directed by Mimi Cave, the movie stars Nicole Kidman as Nancy Vandergroot, a teacher in a small town in Michigan, who becomes suspicious of her husband Fred's behavior.
Set in Holland, Michigan—known for its Dutch legacy and yearly Tulip Festival—the film provides a fascinating contrast between the beautiful environment and the sinister mystery that develops.
The movie is not based on a true story. While the movie takes inspiration from real locations, the story and characters are entirely fictional, created by screenwriter Andrew Sodroski.
The film explores a seemingly perfect life that unravels dark secrets in a small town. Let's explore the story, characters, and behind-the-scenes.
The story of Holland
Andrew Sodroski’s screenplay for Holland was penned 13 years before the film was made. Sodroski got the idea for his story from David Lynch's writings. It takes place in a town that seems to have everything going for it, but the evil that lies beneath the surface is hidden. He picked Holland, Michigan, because of its Dutch legacy and the celebration of Tulip Time, which showed a close-knit community with secrets.
The two main characters are Fred and Nancy Vandergroot. It looks like Fred is a respected optometrist. He is the kind of person who seems perfect on the outside but hides secrets.
His wife, Nancy, seems to have a perfect life, but she starts to doubt her husband's whereabouts and strange behavior more and more. Nancy finds signs that Fred is cheating on her, which starts to shake up their lives. But what she finds is worse than she thought.
The choice of Holland, Michigan, as the setting adds to the mystery. Sodroski wanted to portray a community where everyone appears to know each other, yet people are able to conceal their most dangerous truths. This contrast between a perfect public image and a much darker private reality drives the story forward.
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Plot of the movie
The movie takes place in the early 2000s, and Nancy Vandergroot starts to think that her husband Fred is cheating on her. She becomes even more suspicious when she finds Polaroid pictures that Fred shouldn't have and more, like parking tickets from places he never talks about. She thinks Fred is hiding something much worse because of these clues.
Nancy tells her friend and fellow teacher, Dave Delgado what's going on, and he helps her look into what Fred is doing. As they learn more about Fred's actions, their relationship grows stronger, and in the end, Nancy and Dave fall in love. When they find out that Fred is a serial killer, things get worse.
Fred's secret life as a killer comes to light when Dave follows him to a remote house and talks to Fred there. A fight ensues, and Fred is left for dead. Nancy, on the other hand, follows clues to find out about Fred's history of killing people at conferences he goes to while pretending to be an optometrist.
Production and direction
The movie was directed by Mimi Cave and focused on authenticity, especially in depicting Holland, Michigan. Cave visited the town, attended its Memorial Day parade, and researched its history and atmosphere to capture its essence. This attention to detail helped the film depict a small, perfect town realistically.
Filming happened in Tennessee as well as Holland, Michigan. Places like the Windmill Island Gardens helped to properly reflect the town's famous sites, therefore enhancing the visual authenticity of the movie.
The set design and costumes also reflect the year 2000, teaming up with the gloomy undertones of the narrative.
Holland is currently streaming exclusively on Prime Video.
