Holland made his screenwriting debut with the 1978 made-for-television film "The Initiation of Sarah". He made his feature film writing debut in 1982, adapting the Edward Levy novel "The Beast Within" into the film of the same name. That same year, he wrote the "Class of 1984", an urban thriller film centered on juvenile delinquency and punk subculture. The film proved controversial upon release and was heavily censored in the United Kingdom and outright banned in other countries. It has since become a cult classic.