Sentimental Value
Directed by Joachim TrierActrice Nora en haar zus Agnes verloren onlangs hun moeder. Als hun vervreemde vader, de succesvolle filmmaker Gustav, weer contact opneemt met een filmscript, biedt hij Nora de hoofdrol aan. Dit is een eerste stap in de poging om de band tussen vader en dochters opnieuw op te bouwen.
Sentimental Value Ratings & Reviews
- Doc Worm31 januari 2026Stellan Skarsgård just used paper towels in the most unhinged way I could have ever possibly imagined. Heart felt performances from the entire lead cast make this ensemble family drama compelling. Renate Reinsve in particular I found to have an understated and impactful performance. I was unfamiliar with her game- Sentimental Value has me wanting to check out her other roles.
- Varun2 dgn geledenWhen the movie is more than 2 hours long and it’s all hinged upon one thing, a daughter seeking her father’s love and acceptance, the movie did a really good job fleshing out the family history and interactions throughout the runtime. No scene felt wasted. Gustav longs to right the wrong of leaving his daughters but only knows how by pouring everything into a movie script, while Nora also seeks closure by wanting the ability to regularly converse with him and seek his approval of her current life. Neither can stand each other’s profession and attitude, but there’s such a deep longing for connection. A home that housed several generations looms large in all the characters’ lives because the dangerous and beautiful power of nostalgia is inescapable. In reckoning with this location that carried so much history and hurt, the large wounds that festered could only be healed through art and the longstanding supportive love of a sibling relationship. The actors gave such a brilliant performance and although the movie felt slow, I loved all of it since the pacing is really the most key feature of the film that ends in a satisfying payoff.
- Rowan Krzysiak4 januari 2026A film so good it's very difficult to put together a pithy review. It touches on heavy topics in a very accessible manner ripe for dissection. Art, emotion, family, love and trauma. Highly recommended.
- jackmeat9 maart 2026My quick rating - 7.5/10. Coming into the home stretch of my 2026 Best Picture Oscar nominees to check out. I only had two left to go, one is Sentimental Value. Unfortunately, the final two nominees decided my aging eyeballs needed a workout because both required reading subtitles. That also means my normal note-taking routine goes out the window. When you’re busy reading every line of dialogue, stopping to write notes usually means you miss the next five lines. Or I make the movie take 5 hours to watch. So this review may be a little lighter on details than usual, but the overall impression stuck with me. The film revolves around two estranged sisters, Nora and Agnes, who reconnect with their once-famous filmmaker father Gustav after their mother's death. Gustav, portrayed by Stellan Skarsgård, is trying to revive his flagging career through a very personal film project. Naturally, he wants Nora, played by Renate Reinsve, to be a part of the film. However, she refuses to be a part of it. He goes out and signs a Hollywood star for the film, portrayed by Elle Fanning. This sets off a whole can of issues that have been brewing in the family for years. Sentimental Value opens with some really nice camera work around an old house that immediately sets the tone. There’s a quiet, reflective feeling. So you know this film is going to be more about emotions than explosions. No surprise. Shortly after that, we see Nora being led onto a stage, and she acts like she’s being escorted to the electric chair. Look, I understand stage fright…but this reaction was next-level. Visually, the film looks fantastic. The cinematography from Kasper Tuxen is outstanding. Interior scenes have a warm, intimate look, while the outdoor shots feel almost lonely. It’s one of those films where the camera quietly tells part of the story without needing to shout about it. The performances are strong across the board. Stellan Skarsgård gives Gustav just enough manipulative charm, which made me wonder if he’s a struggling artist or a bit of a conman. Or both. There were actually a few moments where I laughed because you could see him working people like a grifter. But the standout here is Renate Reinsve. She absolutely carries the emotional weight of the film as Nora. Her performance feels tense and restless, like someone who wants connection but also knows exactly how dangerous it can be when family history gets involved. In most Oscar years, I’d probably be rooting for her to win Best Actress. The film Gustav is trying to make becomes an emotional fault line, of sorts. It’s a reminder that art can bring personal truths to the surface. But it can also reopen old wounds. Director Joachim Trier is patient with this movie. Sentimental Value focuses on conversations, awkward pauses...Oh, and those uncomfortable family interactions where people say just enough to hurt each other without actually saying what they mean. It’s definitely a slower-paced movie, so hopefully you weren't in this for CGI action or big dramatic fireworks. Not gonna happen. But if you’re willing to stick it out, Sentimental Value ends up being a thoughtful and quietly powerful drama. Be ready to pack some emotional baggage. This flick has it while touching on family and memories, the good and the bad.
- rg94006 december 2025Sentimental Value opens up with a cold open with a melodic soundtrack as the camera pans across a home, voiceover narration quoting an essay about the life of the family within, told from the perspective of the house itself. As it starts to talk about the fractures and shows a literal crack snaking its way from the foundation up through the walls, the title hits. I was excited, thinking I was about to watch a surefire hit. Indeed, I really liked Joachim Trier's prior movie The Worst Person in the World, and I think Renate Reinsve is incredibly talented. Unfortunately, the rest of the movie did not live up to these expectations. I found it very dry, with way too many scenes oriented around making a movie. I've found that critics tend to be a lot more generous with their reviews when a movie focuses on the act of filmmaking, and I can't help but feel that is what happened here as well. There is a level of navel-gazing here, often when focusing on Stellan Skarsgard as the patriarch of the family. I found those scenes to be boring, incredibly boring. The movie is the best when the voiceover narration is playing, and the story flashes back to older generations that lived in the home. Renate is great here as well, but I struggled to connect to her character because so much of this movie gets wrapped up in this dumb movie script. I get that it acts as an analog for the family's issues, but why bother with that facade in the first place? I would rather have the movie dive deeper into her depression and longing for a home. There is a strong scene at the ending between the two sisters, but I just wish the rest of the movie had that level of pathos. I think it should have explored those family dynamics and Nora's depression more directly. Elle Fanning is also in this movie, and she kind of does things. She's great though, so no complaints. Overall, a disappointing misfire that could have been really good had it not been wrapped up in itself to such a large degree.
- Deep Sandune8 februari 2026Starts strong and maintains that throughout. Wonderful.
- BeeVee237 dgn geledenIt's a worthy film. It kept me engaged until the end, but it's not a happy story
- SSStacy16 maart 2026Slow and Boring
- Antho19 januari 2026Rarely has a film moved me in such a personal way. It portrays in such a humane way the difficulty of family relationships. The aching feeling of resentment, the shame in past mistakes, the unconditional love, the awkward attempts to mend the broken. This movie made me emotional in many ways, and that to me is the purpose of art. To make you feel things you wouldn't have felt otherwise and reveal hidden truths about yourself. 5/5
- bensilver11 december 2025While the first hour and a bit had me glued, the last bit of the movie fell a little flat for me. Overall though, this is a strong film, with great writing (mostly) and fantastic performances all around.
- EmperorWatcher17 januari 2026Wonderfully un-American. Gosh. Actual depth to the story, and the portrayals. Exceptional composition and cinematography. Film as Art.
- DANNYZUKO7815 maart 2026THIS IS UP FOR BEST PICTURE. BEST ACTRESS. BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM. BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR AND ACTRESS. BEST DIRECTOR. BEST FILM EDITING. I DID'T KNOW I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO READ NOT A GREAT MOVIE TO WATCH AT THE SAME TIME OF EATING JUST PS I MEAN I DID LIKE IT SOME HOW I FEEL FOR HER JUST NOT EASY TO READ THAT FAST AND EAT SO NOT A BAD MOVIE.
- Arthur Zepeda7 maart 2026Sentimental Value Sentimental Value is a movie I probably wouldn’t normally choose to watch on my own. But since it’s nominated for Best Picture, I’ve kind of made it a tradition to work my way through the nominees each year so I can see what the Academy is recognizing. This one falls squarely into the “human interest” category. It really leans into the idea that life can get complicated, especially when you’re dealing with family relationships that aren’t always neat and tidy. The story explores the ups and downs of a pretty dysfunctional family situation, and it does a good job showing how messy real life can be. What stood out to me most were the performances. The entire cast did a tremendous job bringing their characters to life, and you could really feel the tension, emotion, and history between them. Even though the subject matter isn’t the kind of thing I usually gravitate toward, the acting kept me invested the whole way through. I especially liked how the movie wrapped up. The ending had a bit of a twist to it, nothing outrageous, but enough to catch you a little off guard. More importantly, it felt satisfying and earned after everything the characters went through. Overall, it’s not necessarily my usual kind of film, but I can definitely see why it earned a Best Picture nomination.
- LivewireAdmin3 februari 2026This is one of those movies where the story itself didn't resonate with me but I was able to appreciate the performances. Renate Reinsve was great, Stellan Skarsgård was good and Elle Fanning is having a hell of a year. Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas was terrific as well, honestly it felt like there was a much more interesting story to tell here between the sisters...I found myself fairly uninterested in Skarsgård's Gustav Borg story thread. Case in point, the best scene in the film to me is between Nora (Reinsve) and Agnes (Lilleaas) late in the film. I kept thinking during the scene "where was this the whole movie?" Oh well, glad to see so many others enjoying it.
- michael.r1014 maart 2026A compelling story about family and healing from loss and trauma.
Sentimental Value Trivia
Sentimental Value was released on 20 augustus 2025.
Sentimental Value was directed by Joachim Trier.
Sentimental Value has a runtime of 2 u, 13 m.
Sentimental Value was produced by Maria Ekerhovd, Andrea Berentsen Ottmar.
Actrice Nora en haar zus Agnes verloren onlangs hun moeder. Als hun vervreemde vader, de succesvolle filmmaker Gustav, weer contact opneemt met een filmscript, biedt hij Nora de hoofdrol aan. Dit is een eerste stap in de poging om de band tussen vader en dochters opnieuw op te bouwen.
The key characters in Sentimental Value are Nora Borg (Renate Reinsve), Gustav Borg (Stellan Skarsgård), Agnes Borg Pettersen (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas).
Sentimental Value is rated 9.
Sentimental Value is a Drama, Komedie film.
Sentimental Value has an audience rating of 9.4 out of 10.
Sentimental Value had a budget of US$ 7,8 mln..
Sentimental Value has made US$ 22 mln. at the box office.