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The film introduces Sebastian Stan as a young man desperately trying to get out from under his father’s shadow and forge his own future. His warm, mild-mannered persona masks a devious ambition that deprives him of a moral compass, leading him to strike a deal with the Devil, in the form of infamous New York attorney Roy Cohn.

 While the script isn’t as sharp as in the first movie, Beetlejuice himself is still charming and creepy. Whoever designed the props and underworld characters did a great job of making them look in line with the first movie, while also not making them too grotesque.

Simmons opens the film by gassing up his motorcycle in a rural area and shooting three people there for no reason. Even though his character is a psychotic killer, Simmons is charming in this role -- too charming in fact. His casual attitude towards his actions is funny and takes away from any feeling of dread that a thriller needs in order to be compelling.

John Lennon once said: Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans. And Adios Buenos Aires captures this sentiment perfectly.  As Julio dreams of abandoning Buenos Aires in favor of a fresh start, he is forced to reckon with the people and events that hold him back.

McKendrick’s film is in communication with other adult coming-of-age films. Whether it is Kevin Smith’s Chasing Amy, Sam Mendes’s American Beauty, or the films of Judd Apatow, they all share one trait in common with Scrambled: humor. Said humor may be seen as politically incorrect in the context of hindsight, yet it is not a sign of failure in the filmmaker’s writing -- rather it showcases a willingness and honesty in their exploration of self.

Shem Bitterman is fascinated by that human perversion that grows ever more clear as the brain is subject to social and physical isolation. When Distant Tales is at its most successful is when it follows the nuances of psychological warfare.

If you can find this in theaters, watch it; if you see it on Blu-ray, buy it; and if it shows on a streaming service, then grab a drink and get ready for a top-tier classic. The Holdovers has what it takes to be a timeless film that will be replayed every holiday season for years to come.