Holly Slept Over

Name: Holly Slept Over
Item: Holly Slept Over
Rating: 3
Author: Renee Schonfeld

Movie review by

Renee Schonfeld, Common Sense Media

Common Sense says

age 16+

(i)

Mature dramedy about sex and relationships; language.

NR
2020
87 minutes

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Parents say

age 18+

Based on 1 review

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Official trailer

Holly Slept Over

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Holly Slept Over Movie: Dinner for Three

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Holly Slept Over Movie: Holly Comes to Visit

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The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

Positive Messages

Intimate relationships are complex, personal, sometimes fragile. Honesty, while commendable, can have unexpected consequences. Sex between long-term couples is best enhanced by open communication, mutual respect, and empathy.

Positive Role Models & Representations

Affluent characters take steps toward more mature decision-making. Self-interest gives way to empathy and compassion for their partners and their friends. Ethnic diversity.

Violence

Sex

Sexual relationships and sex acts are fundamental to the film. Characters talk frankly (and bluntly) about sex, sometimes graphically, often using coarse references. On-camera sex includes undressing (nudity in one brief shadowy shot), kissing, foreplay, and in one vital sequence, three people having sex together (no intercourse shown). A lesbian relationship is one plot element.

Language

Unrestricted swearing, sexual comments, vulgarity throughout. Discussions about sexual acts (hetero and same-sex), masturbation, lewd behavior, sexual fantasies. Language includes "f--k," "d--k," "p---y," "s--t," "jerking off," "hard-on," "c--k," "ass play." One male character's sexual references, especially about his wife, are particularly raunchy.

Consumerism

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Abundant alcohol consumption (wine, beer) in social settings. Edible marijuana is ingested, resulting in characters getting stoned. Reference to heroin, past cocaine and unspecified drug use.

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Holly Slept Over, a dramedy, focuses on a group of adults seen through a lens of their sexual behavior and evolving values. The appearance of one woman's college roommate for an overnight visit sparks events that change the core relationship of the central couple and affect their best friends as well. Sex drives the story. Sexual activity (both heterosexual and same-sex) includes kissing and passionate embracing, undressing, and extended foreplay; the only nudity is a shadowy shot of a woman jumping into a swimming pool. Language throughout is raunchy ("bang her," "d--k," "p---y," "jerking off"), with lots of swearing ("f--k," "s--t," "a--hole"). Characters discuss same-sex liaisons, "threesomes," masturbation, sexual positions, and drug use (cocaine, heroin). Adults drink wine and beer in multiple scenes. They eat "edibles" (marijuana) and get stoned.

User Reviews

Parents say
Kids say

Adult Written bycsmo May 29, 2020

age 18+

Inappropriate for all ages - NOT family friendly

It is detestable - "deserving intense dislike."
Holly Slept Over is vile, and promotes unethical behavior. This is not an appropriate movie for any a... Continue reading

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What's the story?

Noel (Josh Lawson) and Audra (Britt Lower) are trying to get pregnant in HOLLY SLEPT OVER. Sex, or the lack thereof, is a problem for Pete (Ron Livingston) and Marnie (Erinn Hayes), Noel's and Audra's best friends. The issues that seem to come with these longstanding relationships are openly discussed, though not always with complete candor. When Audra's college roommate, Holly (Nathalie Emmanuel), decides to visit her old friend after a long absence, everything changes. Old secrets are exposed. Unresolved relationships are reexamined. Lovers revisit and even reconstruct their bonds. And, with a flourish, fantasies wait in the wings to make their entrances.

Is it any good?

This mature comedy-drama wants to be insightful, relatable, and, most of all, contemporary. When it succeeds, it's engaging and funny. First-time feature director Joshua Friedlander, working from his own script, has assembled a wonderful cast. The three lead actors are sincere and seem to carry off complex emotional moments effortlessly. The direction and writing, particularly of scenes that need both grace and comedy, is solid. When the movie stumbles, it's because there's a reliance on stereotypes and over-the-top vulgarity. Holly Slept Over may find a niche audience, whomever Friedlander hopes that will be. It's definitely not for kids.

Talk to your kids about ...

Families can talk about how Holly Slept Over portrays sex and sexuality. What messages about sex does the film send? Does it show love? Passion? Intimacy? Is it depicted in a casual way or just for fun? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.
What did the filmmakers hope to convey with their use of frequent profanity and graphic descriptions of bodily functions and sex acts? How did it help establish certain characters? Did you find the conversations funny or embarrassing? Do you ever turn off a movie that has language that makes you uncomfortable?
How did the consumption of alcohol and marijuana impact the story? Did it affect the characters' decision-making? Their attitudes? Their self-control? Why is it important to understand the consequences of alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs at any age?