'Holy Days' Review: It Pays to Have Faith in Kiwi Filmmakers
There is something truly special about New Zealand. Any fantasy cinephile will know the enchanting power of New Zealand’s landscape; it’s clearly to be seen in The Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia. It’s one thing for a film to be shot in New Zealand, though, and it’s quite another when it’s a film made by New Zealanders themselves, telling a story which could only take place in New Zealand. More often than not, you get a film which perfectly straddles comedy and drama, acknowledging painful truths while also embracing that great spirit which seems to engulf the entirety of those islands. There was Whale Rider in 2002, The Hunt for the Wilderpeople in 2016, The Mountain in 2024, and now we have this film.
Holy Days is the directorial debut of New Zealand actress Nat Boltt (Riverdale, District 9, The Wotwots); Boltt also wrote the film’s screenplay, based on a story by Joy Cowley. As if that wasn’t enough, Boltt also has a supporting role in the cast, which includes actors of international fame, such as Miriam Margolyes, Jacki Weaver, Judy Davis, Johnny Brugh, Craig Hall, and John Bach. It’s also worth pointing out that this isn’t just a New Zealand film; Holy Days is a Canadian co-production, with Telefilm and CBC Films. Fittingly, several songs in the soundtrack are performed by Canadian-Kiwi musician Tami Nielson.
Our story begins in the mid-1970s. A decrepit convent is down to three senior nuns: Sister Agnes (Davis), Sister Mary Claire (Weaver), and Sister Luke (Margolyes). Their most frequent visitor is a young boy named Brian Collins (Elijah Tamati). Brian is consumed with grief for his deceased mother, and he is furious that his father (Hall) is seeing someone new (Boltt) whom he treats with unbridled hostility. He not only visits the convent to visit his mother’s grave, but also because he has befriended the three nuns. However, things take a turn when Brian overhears a conversation between the local priest (Brugh) and the visiting bishop (Bach). A land developer is itching to take the property, and the bishop is quite happy to chuck all three of the nuns out. Incensed, Sister Agnes rallies her sisters for a road trip to find their lawyer Patricia (Tanea Heke) who has the deeds to the convent. As it happens, not only is Patricia related to Brian’s mother, but she also lives near a mountain which is sacred to their family. As you can imagine, Brian quickly tags along for the ride.
What follows is a journey that is every bit as spiritual as it is physical. In keeping with New Zealand’s history, there is the Christian element from the nuns, and a far older tradition through Brian’s Māori ancestry, embedded in the very roots of the mountain he’s seeking to climb. As for the nuns, they are not just fighting for their home, or to keep Sister Luke out of a mental health facility. They are fighting for a legacy of helping their community for decades. Obviously, the history of the church is a complicated one, especially in New Zealand, and one of the sisters has a moment where she relates her history of having been taken away from her family as a child.
As previously mentioned, the soundtrack contains some great numbers by very talented singer-songwriters like Nielson, as well as a soundtrack composed by Karl Solve Steven. The film also boasts a fantastic cinematography by Thomas Burstyn. The film makes phenomenal use of meta-storytelling through stop-motion animation, as well as a whimsical framing of the journey which mirrors the treasured snowglobe that Brian takes with him on the road trip.
As you can see, there is so much to praise about Holy Days. It is a beautiful slice-of-life story which will inspire tears and laughter alike before the end credits roll. In that great Kiwi tradition, humour and tragedy are perfectly balanced, never straying too far in one direction or the other. It is a tightrope walk which seems effortless in the hands of this film’s cast and crew. Do go see it; you will not be disappointed.