‘Sentimental Value’ Review: Value In The Ordinary 

There seemingly comes a time in every big filmmaker’s career when they want to make a movie about movies. Long has it been said as advice to do what you know, and for filmmakers, what do they know if not movies? This has never been more true than in the present-day slate. From films such as Damien Chazelle’s Babylon to Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague, to even Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans, many influential directors have dabbled in the subgenre, and now it is finally Joachim Trier’s turn. 

Sentimental Value is the latest Norwegian language film from director Joachim Trier. Coming fresh off the highly regarded Oslo Trilogy, Trier is known for his down-to-earth characters and his apt handling of human issues. In one word, I would have certainly described the director-writer as meditative or even sentimental, which makes his latest film so much more interesting. 

Debuting at Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value tells the story of two sisters (Renate Reinsve & Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) who reconnect with their absentee filmmaker father (Stellan Skarsgård’s Gustav) when he arrives to tell oldest sister Nora (Reinsve) that he has written a role for her in his next film. When she turns it down, she must grapple with her past and future, whilst Gustav faces his own issues and reluctantly courts American actress Rachel Kemp (Elle Fanning) for the role. 

I managed to catch a screening of the film at the Scandinavian Film Festival 2025, where the film was showcased as a Centrepiece Event.

The film won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, ultimately losing the Palme d’Or, but still receiving exceptional reviews. For good reason too, as this movie is immaculate. Trier directs his actors with not just skill, but talent, driving the actors to give these emotion-laden performances. Renate Reinsve, a Trier regular at this point, is the clear highlight, just as she was with The Worst Person In The World back in 2021. Her performance is captivating, bringing nuance to a troubled woman who blames her father for some of the problems that have arisen in her life. She is electric, bouncing between lively and hilarious, before slumping into a depressive and pained counterpart with ease.

As brilliant as her performance is, it would not be possible without those surrounding her both on and off screen. On screen, Stellan Skarsgård delivers yet another brilliant performance, encapsulating the regretful absentee father perfectly, and his dynamic with the two actresses playing his daughters is incredibly believable. Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas is absolutely amazing as Agnes, who comes off slightly more reserved in her performance and definitely won’t get as much praise as Reinsve and Skarsgård. The same can be said for Elle Fanning, to a lesser extent, who is also brilliant here. Fanning is two for two lately, following her standout performance in A Complete Unknown. 

But none of this works without the stellar screenplay and the stunning direction. At no point during this film did I feel like I was watching an actual film. Each moment is poetic in its own right, allowing audiences to feast in the tightly written screenplay and the gorgeous visuals. Joachim Trier is still in his prime, following 20 years of making great cinema. 

Sentimental Value feels especially relevant in today’s world. Not just for the lack of general love going around, but also for some of its commentary on streaming services. A plot point regarding Netflix and interviews is discussed, where Gustav asks the sensible question, why wouldn’t his film be intended to be seen on a cinema screen? That hot talking point is immediately followed up by another, revolving around a bad question proposed by a TikTok interviewer. Trier and Eskil Vogt’s foresight to include this subtle joke here plays very well into the discourse this Summer surrounding influencers in marketing. This is a great example of humour in the film too, which my audience at the Scandinavian Film Festival found incredibly funny. 

In all, Sentimental Value is a brilliant meditation on fatherly absenthood, loneliness, mental health, and much more. It is more than enough to make the average moviegoer cry, with its relatable characters and down-to-earth plot, despite its shoot-for-the-stars story. It’s clear this is what director Trier thrives at, and following the Oslo trilogy, Louder Than Bombs and now Sentimental Value, I am more than excited for where he takes audiences next.

Sentimental Value is written and directed by Joachim Trier, co-written by Eskil Vogt, and stars Renate Reinsve as Nora Borg, Stellan Skarsgård as Gustav Borg, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas as Agnes Borg-Petterson, Elle Fanning as Rachel Kemp, Cory Michael Smith as Sam, and Anders Danielsen Lie as Jakob. 

The film is set to be released by NEON in the United States in limited release on November 7th, 2025.

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