Chills and Spills in Small Town America

If Alfred Hitchcock had been alive, Nicole Kidman would have been his favourite icy blonde in peril. In the past few years since Big Little Lies, Kidman has made a career out of playing blondes in trouble. Holland has her as a small-town perfect wife, bak­ing meatloafs, taking care of her son, and waiting up for her itinerant husband. The Holland of the title refers to a small town in Michigan which follows many of the Dutch traditions of their forefathers. The movie is set in 2000. Matthew MacFadyen is her husband, the archetypal strong man, an optometrist with a loyal clientele, a good father who builds train models with his son, and a seemingly caring husband. So, what could go wrong this time in the Kidman universe, you think. Well lots, as Kidman enlists the aid of her fellow teacher, Gael Garcia Bernal, to find out exactly what her husband does on his so-called work trips. It is quite a lot, and much worse than what Kidman expects. MacFadyen is clearly intent on making everyone forget he ever played Mr Darcy, and since Succession has played some pretty nasty characters. Kidman is breathy, breakable, and all too believable as a woman waking up from a long slumber. Be advised, there is a lot of blood, though none of it is Kidman's.