Holler

Name: Holler
Genre: Drama
Released: June 11, 2021
Duration: 90 min
Rating: 76
Cast: Austin Amelio, Becky Ann Baker, Grace Kaiser, Gus Halper, Jessica Barden

2021

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 16 Critic Reviews

See All

USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 7 Ratings

See All

5.7

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

5.7	Your Score
5.7	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 7 Ratings

Would you like to write a review?

There is a 75 character minimum for reviews. If your review contains spoilers, please check the Spoiler box. Please do not use ALL CAPS. There is no linking or other HTML allowed. Your review may be edited for content. 0/5000

Check box if your review contains spoilers

Play Sound

Please enter your birth date to watch this video:

You are not allowed to view this material at this time.

Holler: Modern Day Gold Mines

Now Playing: Holler: Modern Day Gold Mines

Movie Details & Credits

IFC Films | Release Date: June 11, 2021 | R

Starring: Austin Amelio, Becky Ann Baker, Grace Kaiser, Gus Halper, Jessica Barden, Joe Hemsley, Larry Jones, Pamela Adlon, Trevor Evans

Summary: In a forgotten pocket of Southern Ohio where American manufacturing and opportunity are dying up, a determined young woman finds a ticket out when she is accepted to college. Alongside her older brother, Ruth Avery joins a dangerous scrap metal crew in order to pay her way. Together, they spend one brutal winter working the scrap yardsIn a forgotten pocket of Southern Ohio where American manufacturing and opportunity are dying up, a determined young woman finds a ticket out when she is accepted to college. Alongside her older brother, Ruth Avery joins a dangerous scrap metal crew in order to pay her way. Together, they spend one brutal winter working the scrap yards during the day and stealing valuable metal from the once thriving factories at night. With her goal in sight, Ruth finds that the ultimate cost for an education for a girl like her may be more than she bargained for, and she soon finds herself torn between a promising future and the family she would leave behind.… Expand

Director: Nicole Riegel

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: R

Runtime: 90 min

See All Details and Credits

Watch Now

Buy on

Stream On

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

100

RogerEbert.com Matt Zoller Seitz

Jun 11, 2021

Nicole Riegel's debut feature Holler is a film to treasure—an intimate drama about family and work, steeped in details that can only have been captured by a storyteller who lived them. Read full review

Alan Ng

Jun 9, 2021

Writer/director Nicole Riegel brings such richness to all of her characters that they feel authentic, garnering empathy. Read full review

Katie Walsh

Jun 10, 2021

[Barden] becomes the vessel to express Riegel’s quiet cri de coeur, which is not just yearning to escape one’s own circumstances but the absolute necessity of it. Read full review

The Playlist Joe Blessing

Jun 9, 2021

Holler succeeds at putting a human face on large-scale economic trends, telling a suspenseful coming of age story that shows the true cost of lost opportunity. Read full review

Ben Kenigsberg

Jun 10, 2021

Riegel has said that Ruth’s story was inspired by her own challenges leaving the area. Even the medium — Super 16-millimeter film, in the era of digital — adds to the ambience of rusting, abandoned machinery. Read full review

Andy Howell

Jun 9, 2021

The real tragedy is that all of the characters in Holler seem incomplete. Read full review

Jourdain Searles

Jun 9, 2021

Riegel seems to still be hung up on Winter’s Bone, making a slavishly imitative film with few flourishes that allow it to stand on its own. Read full review

SEE ALL 16 REVIEWS

Write a Review

User Reviews

WondersWaiting

Jun 17, 2021

Stunning in its superlative acting, immersive storyline and impressive 16mm cinematography, a must-see film for all the right reasons.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Brent_Marchant

Jan 29, 2022

Making a film with familiar subject matter and circumstances only works when the narrative includes characters who credibly fit the scenario. Unfortunately, that's the downfall of writer-director Nicole Riegel's meandering debut feature about an intelligent but rough-hewn high school seniorMaking a film with familiar subject matter and circumstances only works when the narrative includes characters who credibly fit the scenario. Unfortunately, that's the downfall of writer-director Nicole Riegel's meandering debut feature about an intelligent but rough-hewn high school senior who takes up rogue scrap metal pilfering as a means to earn money to attend college and thereby extract herself from the small Ohio Rustbelt town where she grew up (and would not have much of a future). Despite a seemingly plausible story line, many of the specific events that it incorporates are a stretch, often going underdeveloped or wholly unresolved. That's especially true of incidents involving the spitfire protagonist, most of which seem to mistakenly rely on her gritty-edged personality as the rationale for their inclusion, regardless of whether or not they're believable or effectively brought to conclusion. The casting is somewhat questionable, too, particularly the selection of a 28-year-old actress to play an 18-year-old character, a flawed choice that not even makeup and costuming can effectively conceal. While the film does feature some superb cinematography and a realistic production design, those attributes are hard-pressed to make up for the other shortcomings. Perhaps much of this can be chalked up to this being the filmmaker's first full-length outing (let's hope so).… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

UncleWillard

Jun 22, 2021

It just reminds me of Hillbilly Elegy in that I don't find it compelling. What year is this supposed to take place? I find it hard to believe that a young, capable girl in high school, who is getting good grades, couldn't find a myriad of ways to pay for school. I mean, okay, maybe you'reIt just reminds me of Hillbilly Elegy in that I don't find it compelling. What year is this supposed to take place? I find it hard to believe that a young, capable girl in high school, who is getting good grades, couldn't find a myriad of ways to pay for school. I mean, okay, maybe you're not going to an Ivy League University (unless you're some sort of prodigy and get a scholarship), but going to Ohio State or a satellite, or even community college, is not beyond her reach. That blows the premise for me, in what is a bleak and not compelling narrative. There's no need to commit felonies to go to college. That's a ridiculous premise. Outside of that, everything else was competent and I really like Jessica Barden (for her turn in The End of the **** World mostly). Couldn't save this boring movie.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

SEE ALL 3 REVIEWS