Where to Watch ‘The Holdovers’: Find Showtimes

Paul Giamatti is reuniting with Academy Award-winning director Alexander Payne for the holiday dramedy The Holdovers. Giamatti stars as Paul Hunham an unpopular history professor at a New England boarding school who is forced to watch over the troubled but brilliant student Angus (Dominic Sessa) when his mother and step-dad refuse to bring him home for the Christmas holiday. Da’Vine Joy Randolph also stars as Mary, the head cook at the school who is grieving the loss of her son in the Vietnam War. The film has earned rave reviews since its premiere at the Telluride Film Festival in September, and it was a runner-up for the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Payne and the production team did a terrific job creating the illusion that The Holdovers takes place in the 1970s, not just in set dressing and costuming, but in the overall look and sound of the film. The Holdovers was written by David Hemingson, who has previously written exclusively for television on shows like American Dad!, How I Met Your Mother, Black-ish, and Whiskey Cavalier. The Holdover’s critical praise points to Payne and Hemingson as a winning duo. The addition of three powerhouse performances by the lead actors is sure to make The Holdovers one to watch this Holiday Season.

When Does ‘The Holdovers’ Release in Theaters?

The Holdovers expands into wide release in theaters across North America on November 10, 2023. The film received a limited theatrical release on October 27, after having had a successful run at various film festivals.

Find Showtimes For ‘The Holdovers’

To pre-purchase your tickets for The Holdovers, check out the links below to find showtimes at a theater near you.

Will ‘The Holdovers’ Be On Streaming?

Like most films these days, The Holdovers will most likely be streaming on-demand on various platforms 1–3 months after its theatrical release. If you don’t want to wait until the new year to see the film at home, you can check out the links above to snag your tickets to see it in theaters. Since this is a film set over the Christmas holiday, there is a good chance that the film will be released through Premium Video On-Demand in December. Last year, Universal (which is distributing The Holdovers through Focus Features), released their Christmas action film Violent Night on-demand 18 days after its theatrical release, so there is a chance something similar happens with The Holdovers.

Will ‘The Holdovers’ Be on Blu-ray and DVD?

While streaming seems to have taken over as the preferred method of at-home viewing, films are still being released on Blu-ray and DVD for audiences to purchase. Like most movies, The Holdovers will likely be released on Blu-ray and DVD a month or more after it leaves theaters.

Watch the Trailer for ‘The Holdovers’

The brilliant trailer for The Holdovers perfectly captures the 1970s aesthetic director Alexander Payne created for the film. From the trailer’s voiceover to its music to the onscreen typography, it stands out as one of the most unique trailers in a while. It’s safe to say that some of the trailer’s astounding fifteen million views are thanks to its creatively retro feel.

More Paul Giamatti Films You Can Watch Right Now

No matter what film he’s in, Paul Giamatti goes all in. Here are three examples of movies you can watch right now that show the actor’s masterful versatility.

Sideways (2004)

In Paul Giamatti and director Alexander Payne’s first collaboration together, Sideways tells the story of two men in their forties, writer-turned-teacher Miles (Giamatti) and a has-been actor Jack (Thomas Haden Church), as they go on a road trip to the wine country of Santa Barbara to celebrate Jack’s upcoming wedding. On their travels, Miles and Jack encounter two women, Maya (Virginia Madsen) and Stephanie (Sandra Oh), who complicate the trip when Miles and Jack are dishonest with them. However, these women force Miles and Jack to take a look at their lives and where they’re headed in the future. The film was a massive success upon its release, earning four Academy Award nominations and a win for Best Adapted Screenplay by Payne and Jim Taylor. In addition to its Academy Award accolades, Sideways won two Golden Globe Awards, with four additional nominations. The film is widely considered one of the best films of the early 2000s and marks the beginning of Giamatti and Payne’s working relationship in film.

Rent on Prime Video

American Splendor (2003)

Based on the life of comic book author Harvey Pekar, the film follows Harvey (Giamatti) as he goes through his life as a clerk in a hospital. In his free time, Harvey likes to go thrift shopping and to garage sales to see what he can find. On one of those expeditions, he meets Robert Crumb (James Urbaniak), a greeting card illustrator who later finds success in comic books. This inspires Harvey to write his own comic book based on his working-class life, and with this writing, Harvey becomes a massive success. Through his journey to comic book fame, Harvey also meets his love interest Joyce Barber (Hope Davis), who has a comic book store in Delaware, and Harvey is able to further branch out from the life he’s lived for so long. The film was praised for its creativity, as it utilizes documentary-style practices, real actors like Giamatti, Urbaniak, and Davis, and animation. Its unique style is credited in part to its being written and directed by two documentarians, Robert Pulci and Shari Springer Berman. The film was nominated for and won many awards, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay by Pulci and Springer Berman and an award for the American Film Institute Movie of the Year.

Watch on Max

Cinderella Man (2005)

Giamatti earned an Academy Award nomination for his work in Cinderella Man, the 2005 film directed by the iconic Ron Howard. The film follows James Braddock (Russel Crowe), a boxer from New Jersey dubbed “The Cinderella Man” who loses it all during the Great Depression. Torn between wanting to provide for his wife (Reneé Zellweger) and kids and still having a passion for boxing, James re-enters the ring with the encouragement of his coach, Joe Gould (Giamatti). Through his re-invention of himself, James becomes a symbol of hope for a country that desperately needs it. In what was the greatest economic downfall in United States history, it’s the love James and his family have for one another that gets them through to the other side and inspires the people around him. In addition to Giamatti’s Academy Award nomination, the film was also nominated for Best Film Editing and Best Makeup, alongside two Golden Globe nominations for the performances of Crowe and Giamatti. While Giamatti had plenty of previous film roles before the early 2000s, he truly solidified himself as a master of the craft throughout the early aughts.

Watch on Netflix