Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- warm
- wistful
- sentimental
- quiet weekend
- family movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the talented ensemble and occasional warmth undermined by a familiar story that repeats the conventions of other indie dramedies.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
John leaves New York and returns to his middle America hometown as his mother's brain surgery approaches, re-entering his family's social world.
The film combines comic family chaos and eccentric supporting characters with the fear surrounding Sally's brain tumor and surgery.
John must navigate his parents, brother Ron, old friends, and former girlfriend while familial tensions resurface during the medical crisis.
John's New York artistic ambitions and impending fatherhood collide with the need to support his mother and family at home.
Films like The Hollars, and why
The Family Stone
shared dysfunctional family dynamics, hometown return, and sentimental indie dramedy tone
Little Miss Sunshine
shared warm but melancholy family crisis, ensemble chemistry, and emotional comedy
The Skeleton Twins
shared small-town family dysfunction, romantic complications, and bittersweet humor
Movie Details
- Director
- John Krasinski
- Release Date
- 2016-08-25
- Runtime
- 88 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (341)
Cast
- John Krasinski
- Margo Martindale
- Richard Jenkins
- Sharlto Copley
- Anna Kendrick
- Charlie Day
- Mary Elizabeth Winstead
- Randall Park
- Josh Groban
- Mary Kay Place
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Hollars about?
- An aspiring artist's return home for his mother's brain surgery plunges him into a tenderly chaotic reckoning with family, love, and adulthood.
- What is The Hollars like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Hollars as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Hollars violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Hollars.
- What did critics think of The Hollars?
- Critics broadly found the talented ensemble and occasional warmth undermined by a familiar story that repeats the conventions of other indie dramedies.
- Which films are like The Hollars?
- Films with a similar feel include The Family Stone, Little Miss Sunshine, and The Skeleton Twins.
- How long is The Hollars?
- The Hollars runs 88 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Hollars?
- In United States, The Hollars streams on Howdy Amazon Channel.
