Holland Ending Explained: What is Fred’s Secret and what does the Creepy Miniature Town mean?

The Nicole Kidman and Matthew Macfadyen starrer Holland has captivated everyone since the first trailer was released. Kidman stars as Nancy Vandergroot, a teacher living with her husband, Macfadyen’s Fred Vandergroot, and their son Harry (played by Jude Hill). 

The family resides in the small community of Holland, Michigan, and seemingly lead an ordinary life. But Nancy begins suspecting that her husband might be cheating on her. She reaches out to Dave (Gael García Bernal), a fellow teacher new to the town. 

After Dave and Nancy fall for each other, they try to find proof of Fred’s cheating so that Nancy can have a solid reason for leaving her marriage. However, the truth about Fred turns out to be more disturbing than simple cheating. 

What is Fred’s Secret?

Nancy suspects that her husband, Fred, is cheating on her because his work as an optometrist takes him out of town pretty often. She even finds receipts and a Polaroid, hinting at that as well. However, his secret is way more monstrous. Fred is a serial killer who lures in, abducts, and murders women. 

He has been doing that for years, and Nancy even finds evidence of it when she discovers an unknown woman's name in Fred’s town model. During research at the local library, she finds that many women have disappeared and were later found dead. 

When Nancy and Dave follow Fred out of town, they find evidence of his actions as well when Dave watches him in the process of murdering a young woman in his hotel room. 

What is the Secret of Fred’s Miniature Town Model? 

The miniature town model is something Fred and his son Harry bond over as the duo work on it often. Initially, the small town seems to be a replica of the town they live in. But a closer look reveals that it doesn’t match the layout of the town. Also, there are names of people and houses that don’t exist in the town. So, what does it represent?

It’s actually a map to keep track of all the murders he has committed over the years. For example, Nancy finds the name of Lacey Anne there and discovers that she was murdered three years ago. Further research leads her to find out that many more women went missing and then were found murdered. This leads her to make the connection between the houses and streets with her husband being a serial killer.

What Happens to Fred in the end?

When Dave catches Fred murdering a young woman in his hotel room, the two get into a fight. During the tussle, Fred gets stabbed with his own knife and falls into a lake. However, during the Tulip festival, Nancy’s friends tell her that they spotted Fred. 

Also, Dave sees him in the crowd. This makes him panic, and he tells Nancy to call the police. However, she doesn’t do that. The final confrontation happens between Nancy and Fred, where the latter tells her that they should start anew. He attempts to gaslight her by saying that the real him wasn't out there murdering those women, instead he was there with Nancy and Harry all along.

However, Nancy is determined to fight for her son. She defends herself with Dave’s gun but the shot only grazes Fred’s cheek and ear. Harry steps in to protect his mother but gets pushed away by Fred. Using a clog, Nancy beats her husband to death. While Fred never pays for the murders he committed, at least he won’t commit more. 

What Happens to Dave?

When Dave tells Nancy to call the police once he spots Fred in the crowd at the Tulip festival, she refuses to do so and during their spat, she pushes him and a TV falls on his head. While he gets injured, he doesn’t die. After killing Fred, Nancy returns to the motel only to find that Dave is nowhere to be found. 

It’s possible that Dave left town after what happened with Nancy and Fred. After all, he was traumatized after seeing Fred get stabbed and fall into the lake. In fact, he used to get nightmares of the incident as well. 

Do Dave and Nancy stay Together in the end?

Dave and Nancy are two people who found comfort in their relationship with each other. However, they don’t stay together in the end. Dave presumably leaves the town that never really welcomed him, but Nancy doesn’t. Even after everything that happened with Fred, she stays in Holland because it has become a safe space for her and Harry. They simply move on with their lives. 

Holland is streaming on Prime Video.