Despite sharing a plot with one of the finest Christmas movies of 2023, this film takes a very different approach to its tone and story.
Summary
Although The Holdovers is a top 2023 holiday comedy, a brand new horror film about the holiday season looks frighteningly similar to it. Everyone loves a good Christmas movie, and families are usually on the hunt for new ones to watch throughout the holiday season. Several new holiday films were out in 2023, as is customary, but these two strangely took quite different approaches to telling the same theme.
In 2023, the critically acclaimed film The Holdovers was released by director Alexander Payne. The Christmas film delves into themes of family and unity throughout, evoking many of the cozy emotions commonly linked with the season. This tone isn’t for everyone, even if the film has many charming moments that many people seek out over the holidays. Thankfully, the exact same plot has been told in an utterly different Christmas horror film.
The Storyline of The Sacrifice Game Is Like That of The Holdovers
Also released in 2023 was a Christmas horror flick called The Sacrifice Game, which shared a plot with The Holdovers to an alarming degree. The Holdovers takes place at a boarding school during the Christmas season in the early 1970s. Throughout the course of the film, one kid develops a stronger bond with his supervisor among a group of pupils who are compelled to remain at the school during the Christmas break.
With nearly identical plot points, The Sacrifice Game follows a similar trajectory. The Sacrifice Game, like The Holdovers, takes place at a boarding school during the early 1970s Christmas season. Like in the previous picture, this one features a group of students who are stranded in school for the holidays—only this time they’re up against a gang of killers intent on calling upon a dangerous demon.
The Unique Perspectives Offered by The Sacrifice Game and the Holdovers
Both The Sacrifice Game and The Holdovers take place in comparable locations, but they deliver vastly distinct stories. With the intention of making its audience feel good by the conclusion, The Holdovers is an authentic, warm-hearted holiday comedy. The Holdovers aspires to be a Christmas classic by evoking the same sentiments of togetherness and comfort that are characteristic of the season.
But as a full-on horror film, The Sacrifice Game takes a very different approach. Instead of wanting its viewers to experience the comfort of a holiday movie, The Sacrifice Game aims to evoke the chills of a gory horror flick. Even if The Holdovers has more viewers, horror aficionados can enjoy The Sacrifice Game as well.
Where To Watch The Holdovers
The Holdovers, which has been widely praised, is currently playing in select theaters and may also be viewed online. At the 2024 Golden Globes, which took place on January 7, 2024, the film directed by Alexander Payne—which starred Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Dominic Sessa—was one of several 2023 features that received some unexpected but justly-deserved accolades. Randolph won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture and Giamatti won one for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy; Payne is known for his work on The Descendants (2011), Election (1999), Nebraska (2013), and Sideways (2004).
The Holdovers, starring Paul Hunham (Gimmett Giamatti) and Angus Tully (Seth Sessa), is a story about a dissatisfied history teacher at a prestigious prep school who is forced to spend the holidays on campus after his premiere at the 50th Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2023. With the help of Mary Lamb, played by Randolph—a school chef and a bereaved mother—the two unexpected friends develop a special friendship and go through a series of transformative events that teach them what’s truly essential in life.
Shot entirely in Massachusetts, The Holdovers is also available for purchase on a number of prominent streaming sites for fans who do not subscribe to Peacock Premium. For $19.99 USD, you can get The Holdovers on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, Youtube, Vudu, and Microsoft Online Store. The movie is available in 4K resolution on several streaming services, including Microsoft, Amazon, Google Play, YouTube, and Apple TV. You should definitely check out The Holdovers in cinemas while you still have the chance because it isn’t available for rental on any of these platforms just yet.
Where can I find digital PVOD platforms where I can buy or rent the creator?
Follow these links to access the Holdovers:
[imdb show=”transparent” data=”detailed”]tt14849194[/imdb]
