R-rated festive film with 97% Rotten Tomatoes score dubbed ‘new holiday classic’

A festive dramedy has been dubbed a new holiday classic just one year after it hit cinemas.

Starring Paul Giamatti, best known for his role in the 2003 biopic American Splendor, the Christmas drama tells a bittersweet story set in 1970 at an American boarding school.

A grumpy teacher named Paul Hunham is forced to stay on campus during the holiday half-term to look after students who have nowhere to go. Although he initially detests working through the festive period, Paul soon builds an unlikely friendship with one of the troublemaking students and the school's head chef.

The trio survive the holidays together and take viewers along for the tear-jerking journey.

We're talking about Alexander Payne's Oscar and BAFTA-winning film, The Holdovers. Upon its debut last year, the drama received praise for tackling poignant themes such as grief, depression and self-discovery.

Giamatti's role as the disgruntled educator is a standout, however the film also marked a stunning on-screen debut from Dominic Sessa, who played the troubled teen.

Da'Vine Joy Randolph similarly captivated viewers as Mary Lamb and received an Academy Award for the Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role.

Movie-goers have consistently raved about the coming-of-age story since its release. In a recent review on Rotten Tomatoes, one fan wrote: "This movie has the most classic Christmas movie vibes of any modern movie I’ve seen. It’s just absolutely heart-warming and grin-inducing from start to finish.

"The characters have so much depth; you love them and you hate them and you’re just so happy when they’re happy. This movie spreads Christmas cheer like wildfire. It’s hilarious and heart-breaking and beautiful."

Another shared: "This was simultaneously heart-warming and heart-breaking. Well written, well acted, and authentically captures the era; I think it would be a crowd pleaser. I have many thoughts and feelings but not many words."

A third film fanatic chimed in: "All year I have been waiting for a movie to completely knock my socks off. After twelve months of searching, I finally found it. The Holdovers has a certain magic to it that I can't quite explain. The story is simple, the characters are deeply flawed and everything about it feels like a warm hug."

On the film sharing platform Letterboxd, a four-star review succinctly reads: "New poignant holiday classic just dropped!"

The Holdovers is available to stream on NOW and Sky Go