Holy Days Review – Family-Friendly, A Hail Mary Adventure, Entertaining
- Details
- Category: Haute This Issue
- Published on Wednesday, 12 August 2026 11:39
- Written by Janet Walker
Holy Days, from Lightbulb Film Distribution, presents a family-friendly film as a young boy struggling with the death of his mother joins up with three nuns confronting the loss of their convent, in an adventure that saves them both.
The film begins with Brian Collins, played by Elijah Tamati, knocking on the door of the convent announcing he has sinned and needs penance. Sister Agnes, played by Judy Davis, gives him chores to do around the rectory. Soon, he is joined by Sister Mary Clare, played by Jacki Weaver, and Sister Luke, played by Miriam Margolyes.
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As we see the elderly nuns, aren't as busy as they once were. With many of the townspeople moving on, and the need for refuge in the convent, especially for young women who found themselves pregnant and cast out, has dropped.
Brian has become a regular at the convent, since his mother died, he has been unable to process the loss, and as some time has passed, and his father, Joe, played by Craig Hall is planning to remarry Liz, played by Nat Boltt, he believes his mom is being erased.
After discovering Liz's wedding dress, Brian runs to the convent and hides in the confessional, were he overhears Bishop Caytor, played by John Bach, talking with Father Findley, played by Jonny Brugh, explaining the nuns are going to be put out to pasture.
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He runs to Sister Agnes and explains what he has heard, and she realizes in order to stay in the convent they need the deeds which give them life privileges and Auntie Patricia, played by Tanea Heke, has all the nuns documents in her possession outside of Christchurch, which is a days drive.
So, the decide to borrow Father Findley's car, and begin a wild road trip through the back roads of New Zealand. With Sister Anges driving, they are puttering along, and while they need to be sure and make the ferry, when they arrive Sister Anges explains to the ticket salesman, they need to make the ferry and places in front of him, what he knows is a delicious fruitcake bribe. Soon they are making the crossing.
They decide to stay the night with the nuns at St. Helens, and when they arrive they realize their convent meet the same fate as a billboard announcing the development of a coastal hotel was sitting in the yard. Even with their divine assistance along the way, petrol to keep the car going is not going to materialize.
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As they are out of gas and money, Brian looks in the glove compartment and finds a horse race ticket. By chance it is a winner, and they send him to redeem it and Sister Luke, tell him to tell the betting clerk, "Dad is in the pub and Mom needs bread." It works and he comes back with some change which they were all happy for, then hands over the winnings, and explains, they said "we could keep the bag."
Soon they arrive, and begin to go through the documents, and find they have lifetime privileges as does Father Findley. Brian to has been on this trip hoping to get closer to him Mom, decides he is going to the mountain, and as the radio announcer explains, "it's going to be all four seasons today." By the time he gets to the mountain looking for his mom, the weather has turned and he is lost in a snowstorm.
In this near death moment, he sees his mom, Paula, played by Renaye Tamati, who comforts him and as his hope, even as the trip has been fun, is that she would take him, and he could go to heaven with her.
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This ushers in the final act, as both the nuns and Brian have experienced a near death, they need to return, quickly to their home in hopes that it is not too late to repair the damage they may have caused.
Engaging and enjoyable, Holy Days is a feel-good, entertaining family friendly, film that uses humor to present life challenges and how the trials and tribulations of change can become a catalyst to building and rebuilding relationships.
The acting was good, and amusing, and filled with antics, blessed by need and a genuine innocence that they would be provided for on this Hail Mary adventure. The majority of the film was filmed inside a car, each of the four portrayed their roles genuinely. The introduction of Maori indigenous peoples added authenticity as they were in New Zealand. At a few points in the film, the live-action reverts to the clay mold shots used in the introduction. Not that they were a distraction, just surprising.
A hilarious road trip, Holy Days, opens in UK and Irish cinemas August 14, 2026. See it.
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Country: UK.
Language: English, Maori with English subtitles.
Runtime: 101 minutes.
Release Date: August 14, 2026 (UK & Irish Cinemas).
Director: Nat Boltt.
Producer: Roxi Bull, Victoria Dabbs, Sushant Desai, Michelle Morris, Emma Slade.
Executive Producer: Matt Drake, Kalani Dreimanis, Lisa Gutberlet, James Huntsman, Mark Slone, David Tomiak.
Writer: Nat Boltt, based on the novel by Joy Cowley.
Cast: Judy Davis, Miriam Margolyes, Elijah Tamati, Jacki Weaver, Craig Hall, Nat Boltt, Jonny Brugh, John Bach, Renaye Tamati, Patricia Ngata.
Janet Walker is the publisher, founder, and sole owner of Haute-Lifestyle.com. A graduate of New York University, she has been covering international news through the Beltway Insider, a weekly review of the nation's top stories, for more than a decade. A general beat writer/reporter and entertainment/film critic, she is also an accomplished news/investigative news/crime reporter and submitted for Pulitzer Prize consideration "Cops Conspire to Deep Six Sex Assaults" in the Breaking News Category and was persuaded to withdraw the submission. Under the banner of her production company, HL Productions, LLC, Ms. Walker has completed five screenplays "The Six Sides of Truth," "The Assassins of Fifth Avenue," "The Wednesday Killer," "The Manhattan Project," and the sci-fi thriller "Project 13: The Last Day." She has also published "Unholy Alliances: A True Crime Story," and "Days, Times, Seasons, and Events: A Collection of Poetry & Prose," which can be purchased here. She is a member of the Los Angeles Press Club, the National Writers Union, and a member of the International Federation of Journalists.
