The Holdovers is a comedy-drama film directed by Alexander Payne, from a screenplay by David Hemingson. The period film is set in the early 1970s, and it revolves around Paul Hunham, a grouchy disliked teacher at Barton Academy, who has to supervise the students who were unable to return to their homes for the Christmas holidays. He soon forms a bond with a rebellious and troubled student who recently lost his father. The Holdovers stars Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Carrie Preston. So, if you loved the comedy film here are some similar movies you could watch next.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople (Netflix & Prime Video Add-On)
Synopsis: Hunt for the Wilderpeople tells the story of misfit kid Ricky Baker. When Ricky’s foster aunt suddenly passes away, he’s left alone with his grumpy uncle Hec The unlikely duo find themselves on the run in the vast New Zealand bush, evading child services and the law. They are forced to work together to survive and despite their differences, form a bond in this hilarious and heart-felt adventure.
The Squid and the Whale (Netflix, AMC+ & Prime Video Add-On)
Synopsis: In his third feature, director Noah Baumbach scores a triumph with an autobiographical coming-of-age story about a teenager whose writer-parents are divorcing. The father (Jeff Daniels) and mother (Laura Linney) duke it out in half-civilized, half-savage fashion, while their two sons adapt in different ways, shifting allegiances between parents. The film is squirmy-funny and nakedly honest about the rationalizations and compensatory snobbisms of artistic failure as well as the conflicted desires of adolescents for sex and status. In detailing bohemian-bourgeois life in brownstone Brooklyn, Baumbach is spot on. Everyone proceeds from good intentions and acts rather badly, in spite or because of their manifest intelligence. Fulfilling the best traditions of the American independent film, this quirky, wisely written feature explores the gulf between sexes, generations, art and commerce, Brooklyn and Manhattan.
Dead Poets Society (Rent on Prime Video)
Synopsis: Academy Award(R) winner Robin Williams (Best Supporting Actor, Good Will Hunting, 1997) delivers one of his most memorable performances in Dead Poets Society. For generations, Welton Academy students have been groomed to live lives of conformity and tradition – until new professor John Keating inspires them to think for themselves, live life to the fullest and “Carpe Diem.” This unconventional approach awakens the spirits of the students, but draws the wrath of a disapproving faculty when an unexpected tragedy strikes the school. With unforgettable characters and beautiful cinematography, Dead Poets Society will captivate and inspire you time and time again.
The Breakfast Club (Prime Video & Tubi)
Synopsis: They were five students with nothing in common, faced with spending a Saturday detention together in their high school library. At 7 a.m., they had nothing to say, but by 4 p.m. they had bared their souls to each other and become good friends. John Hughes, creator of the critically acclaimed Sixteen Candles, wrote, directed and produced this hilarious and often touching comedy starring Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy. To the outside world they were simply the Jock, the Brain, the Criminal, the Princess and the Kook, but to each other, they would always be The Breakfast Club.
The Edge of Seventeen (Rent on Prime Video)
Synopsis: The Edge of Seventeen is a new coming-of-age movie in the vein of Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club – an honest, candid, often hilarious look at what it’s like to grow up as a young woman in today’s modern world. Everyone knows that growing up is hard, and life is no easier for high school junior Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld), who is already at peak awkwardness when her all-star older brother Darian (Blake Jenner) starts dating her best friend Krista (Haley Lu Richardson) All at once, Nadine feels more alone than ever, until the unexpected friendship of a thoughtful boy (Hayden Szeto) gives her a glimmer of hope that things just might not be so terrible after all. The film also stars Kyra Sedgwick as Nadine’s well-meaning but completely ineffective mother, and Woody Harrelson as Nadine’s History teacher, mentor and reluctant sounding board.
Rushmore (Rent on Prime Video)
Synopsis: A chronicle of a year in the life of 15-year-old student Max Fischer at Rushmore Academy, one of the finest schools in the country. Max loves his prestigious school, is editor of the school paper, and is involved in practically every student organization. Because of all of his extracurricular activities, he is also one of the worst students in the school. Threatened with expulsion, he begins a new interest–pursuing a first grade teacher. When Max’s tycoon mentor starts an affair with the same teacher, it triggers a war between Max and his friend.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Showtime & Prime Video Add-On)
Synopsis: A funny and touching coming-of-age story, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a modern classic that captures the dizzying highs and crushing lows of high school. Freshman Charlie (Logan Lerman) is a perpetual wallflower until he falls under the spell of the beautiful, free-spirited Sam (Emma Watson) and her fearless stepbrother, Patrick (Ezra Miller); together, the trio navigates love, loss, fear, hope – and the quest for the perfect song – in this unforgettable adaptation of Stephen Chbosky’s beloved novel.
Finding Forrester (Rent on Prime Video)
Synopsis: Jamal Wallace (Robert Brown) is an inner-city kid from the Bronx who has an aptness at basketball and a genius at writing. While always a C student, Jamal comes to the attention of a prestigious New York prep school when he scores highly on his standardized tests. While Jamal is given a heavy load at his new school, both he and the school know that the real reason they took him on is for his prowess on the court. Befriended by fellow student Claire (Anna Paquin) and helped along by Pulitzer-prize winning author and recluse William Forrester (Sean Connery), Jamal pursues his dreams both on and off the court while overcoming obstacles placed by his bitter literature teacher. As Jamal is shaped by Forrester, he finds that he is changing the old writer as well, forcing him to confront his past…and his future.
Charlie Bartlett (Rent on Prime Video & Tubi)
Synopsis: Wealthy teenager Charlie Bartlett (Anton Yelchin) is failing miserably at fitting in at a new public high school run by the world-weary Principal Gardner (Robert Downey, Jr.). As he begins to better understand the social hierarchy, Charlie’s honest charm and likeability positions him as the resident “psychiatrist” dishing out advice, and the occasional prescription, to his fellow students in need. Along the way, he decides to take some of his own advice, thus wielding a witty dark comedy about the angst-filled years before college.
Good Will Hunting (Max & Prime Video Add-On)
Synopsis: Starring Robin Williams, Matt Damon, and Ben Affleck, ‘Good Will Hunting’ shows the most brilliant mind at America’s top university isn’t a student, he’s the kid who cleans the floors. Will Hunting is a headstrong, working-class genius who is failing the lessons of life. After one too many run-ins with the law, Will’s last chance is a psychology professor, who might be the only man who can reach him. Finally forced to deal with his past, Will discovers that the only one holding him back is himself.
