Critic Reviews

The interconnected structure lays the ground for a gripping mystery attentive viewers will be eager to solve.

Copti and cinematographer Tim Kuhn shoot each interaction with an up-close, handheld intimacy that not only magnifies the subtle, powerful performances of the cast (many of them first-time actors), but welcomes the viewer into each scene, as though it were a complicated family reunion.

The story of Happy Holidays starts out fragmented, so it’s a bit disorienting. But when the puzzle comes together, it clicks in a satisfying way.

If the film doesn’t always mesh its two main strands – tough family drama and reflections on the state of a nation – it does so often enough and passionately enough to impress.

Copti’s direction coaxes authentic performances from his cast of non-professional actors and the script explores challenging themes in a compellingly even-handed way.

The movie favors an unflashy presentation that allows its themes to emerge organically. But the interlocking structure, which owes more to the early work of Alejandro González Iñárritu than “Rashomon,” undermines sustained tension, and the dramatic architecture is slightly wobbly.