- Date of Release: 12 September 2025
- Genre: Drama
- Language: Norwegian
Sentimental Value
Introduction
The opening reels of Sentimental Value, Norway’s Official Submission to the Oscars of 2026, acquaint you with an ancestral house presented on the back of a voiceover of a child. In the voiceover wherein the child reimagines it as a character, questioning on whether the house would feel the joy and the pain as regular humans – happier when its belly is full of life, or yelping in pain when its walls are scratched or when folks walk on its wooden flooring. The subtext goes on to reflect Nora’s (Renate Reinsve) mindset during the traumatic phase of her childhood wherein she would go onto replace the word ‘quarrels’ with ‘noises’ – symbolizing a tense relationship between her parents. The trauma has stuck by her side even when she is an adult and now an actor, often experiencing stage freight while having to deliver a performance on suppressed memories, pain and trauma that would (probably) redirect her psyche to the darkest chapters of her life. And it must be noted that Nora may not have had anyone to with whom she could confide, thereby bypassing her mother and sister Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) and instead having an affair with her co-actor who is a married man. In other words, Nora might seem to be a regular artist on the face of things, but is an aching individual holding onto her suppressed feelings from her childhood.
Story & Screenplay
Written by Eskil Vogt and Joaquim Trier, Sentimental Value has an eerie similarity to the Netflix film Jay Kelly, when you choose to view it from the dynamics between the characters. Much like Jay, Gustav (Stellan Skarsgard) remains a fractured individual who is distanced from his family, so much so that his young daughters Nora and Agnes meet him directly at their mother’s funeral. It is being told that Gustav after his troubled marriage with his wife, had left to become a filmmaker, a profession so megalomaniac in nature that it would invariably distance you from your family. In a way, it is the same conflict of Jay Keller who forever was so used to the praises of strangers that he didn’t bother to check on the whereabouts of his family until it is too late. The connective tissue between Gustav and Jay is that of catharsis – a sense of hope in the form of his new film wherein he wants Nora as his leading lady, in a story that is close to him.
You can sense the distance between Nora and Gustav when the latter approaches her for a film role. The pain ingrained in Nora is so deep that there literally is no outlet to let go of the past, prompting her to reject the role and Gustav having to seek elsewhere with an actress in Hollywood named Rachel Kemp (Elle Fanning). It is rather interesting also on Gustav’s close affinity to Agnes’ son whom he also wishes to cast in his film. In a scene, you see Gustav bringing some rather problematic DVDs for Agnes’ son to consume, even as Nora and Agnes look on with the former letting out a laugh. It might seem to be a fleeting scene but it also provides a variation of the suppressed pain of an individual that at times is let out in the form of a gentle laughter. Yes, people depressed don’t always appear to sulk, unlike the binary representation of such traits in most films.
There are two facets of Gustav that prop-up in a rather striking manner. First being the emotions that he has supposedly added in the script of his new film that seemed to be based on his mother Karin, who was suffering from depression after being arrested and jailed for anti-Nazi protests. It must also be added that Karin had committed suicide, leaving behind a 7 year old Gustav with a generational trauma. The second facet is related to Gustav’s previous film wherein he had cast a young Agnes, with the pretext of wanting to spend time with her. Perhaps it was the guilt of having passed on his trauma to his children, that may have resulted in him wanting to spend more time with them. If it was Agnes then, it was Nora at the moment.
The proceedings have a stifled pain explored through its characters. For instance when Agnes gets to know more about the script of Gustav, there is an increasing sense of catharsis in interpreting the fact that the script may not be so much about Gustav’s mother Karin, but more about Nora. In a scene, you see Nora being shocked at the assumption of her father being aware of her attempted suicide. It all felt like an interconnected galaxy of depression and generational trauma that finds its voice in Gustav’s script, with the exception of Gustav wanting to use his script as a means of mending his bridge with Nora. All of this, while wanting to fulfill his dream of making a film that is personal to him. In Gustav’s words, the film was never about his mother – and perhaps this is what he meant!
The ending of Sentimental Value was perfectly aligned with its title wherein the core emotion tying up the characters was exactly that. After Nora performs the one-take shot that Gustav had previously mentioned in the drama, you see her staring at her father in joy, even while Gustav was seen playing with Agnes’ son. There was a strange sort of contentment on her face, almost as if the suppressed pain had finally found an outlet of acceptance – the acceptance that relationships can be mended, bridges can be reconstructed again, and trust can be built again. This remained true for Gustav too who finally found himself freed from the generational trauma, even as life gave him a second chance through his film. And in all of it, the makeover of the ancestral home in a fleeting shot was also a means to start afresh. It felt like a bittersweet feeling that was beautifully encapsulated in a gently moving screenplay.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
There is an underlying tone of pathos reflective in multiple scenes that are infused with humour too – a reminded on how the lines reflect on the duality of the drama in terms of the deeper emotions in play. The BGM is gentle in exploring the complexity of the emotions that essentially form the fabric of storytelling here. The notes never overpower the broader strokes of the character dynamics while deftly aiding the narrative in a rather sedate manner. The cinematography comprises of frames that allow you to stay connected to the characters, while pondering on their psyche which is marred by years of trauma. The world isn’t always black and white but instead grey, and much of it has to do with our past experiences of an individual or the trauma inflicted on us. That is the sentiment explored through the frames featuring fractured individuals that are scarred over the years in different capacities.
The editing pattern is leisurely alright but I am not much of a fan of sudden screen blackout that are essentially used as transition shots here. It just felt lazy and stood out like a sore thumb in an otherwise heartfelt drama. Director Joaquim Trier after the phenomenal film The Worst Person In The World (2023), leaves a mark yet again. His narrative style is allowing the emotions to unfold as a subtext with pain and guilt being byproducts of the psyche of his characters, even while wishing to present a therapeuric journey for them. The key word remains ‘catharsis’ – the idea of unlearning and letting go that invariably results in second chances. And the director beautifully engrains these qualities through the journey of characters which is complex but also rewarding. The direction remains spectacular here.
Performances
The performances are wonderful by the members of the cast. Cory Michael Smith as Sam and Catherine Cohen as Nicky provides nuggets of humour with their performances. Jesper Christensen as Michael and Anders Danielsen Lie as Jakob have their moments to shine. Øyvind Hesjedal Loven as Erik is sincere and earnest with his performance here. Elle Fanning as Rachel Kemp perfectly encapsulates the spirit of a vulnerable actor, ably taking you on a roller coaster of emotions of humour, fragility and realisation. Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas as Agnes has a more empathetic outlook towards her father than Nora. And much of it had to do with the time that she had spent with him on a film set as a child. She brings a tender array of emotions that transition into her journey of catharsis, while beautifully emoting through her eyes. Stellan Skarsgard as Gustav is the epitome of a character holding onto suppressed emotions related to guilt – something that you witness through his squeaky eyes and a dropping body posture. The idea of regret is beautifully essayed through a performance that stays with you long after the film has ended. Renate Reinsve as Nora may seldom give you an impression of a fractured individual from the face of things. The only signs remain her clumsiness or the stage freight that she encounters for her play. But deep down, Nora is on the verge of a breakdown given the insurmountable trauma that she may have endured as a child. As a result, she is palpable with emotions that don’t always appear on the surface. Renate beautifully essays each of the complex emotions by internalizing her performance, and using a range of mannerisms to eventually touch your heart. She was brilliant here in yet another stellar act after Armand (2024) and The Worst Person In The World (2023).
Conclusion
Norway’s Official Submission to the Oscars of 2026 and the winner of the Grand Prix award at Cannes in 2025, Sentimental Value is a bittersweet catharsis of pain and hope packaged in an achingly retrospective drama on second chances that makes for a brilliant watch.