Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
Doug and Abi and their three children travel to the Scottish Highlands for Doug's father Gordie's birthday party. It's soon clear that when it comes to keeping a secret under wraps from the rest of the family, their children are their biggest liability...
What We Did on Our Holiday is a quietly affecting British comedy-drama that punches above its weight largely due to its performances. David Tennant and Rosamund Pike are strong as the fractured parents, but it's the child actors — particularly Emilia Jones — who steal the film with disarming naturalism. The plot blends domestic comedy with genuine emotional weight around mortality and honesty, though it occasionally struggles to balance its tonal shifts between light family farce and more poignant moments. The Scottish Highlands provide a picturesque backdrop but the cinematography is functional rather than inspired. The film's central conceit — children's unfiltered honesty as both comic device and moral lens — is well-executed but not entirely fresh. The ending carries genuine emotional resonance and lands the film's thematic message about authenticity and letting go, though it may feel uneven to some viewers expecting a tidier resolution.