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Sentimental Value

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Sentimental Value
Norwegian theatrical release poster
NorwegianAffeksjonsverdi
Directed byJoachim Trier
Written by
Produced by
  • Maria Ekerhovd
  • Andrea Berentsen Ottmar
Starring
CinematographyKasper Tuxen
Edited byOlivier Bugge Coutté
Music byHania Rani
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • 21 May 2025 (2025-05-21) (Cannes)
  • 20 August 2025 (2025-08-20) (France)
  • 12 September 2025 (2025-09-12) (Norway)
  • 3 October 2025 (2025-10-03) (Sweden)
  • 26 December 2025 (2025-12-26) (United Kingdom)
Running time
133 minutes[2]
Countries
  • Norway
  • France
  • Germany
  • Denmark
  • Sweden
  • United Kingdom
Languages
  • Norwegian
  • English
  • Swedish
  • Danish
Box office$15 million[3]

Sentimental Value (Norwegian: Affeksjonsverdi) is a 2025 drama film directed by Joachim Trier, who co-wrote it with Eskil Vogt. It follows the sisters Nora (Renate Reinsve) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) in their reunion with their estranged father Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård). It also stars Elle Fanning and Anders Danielsen Lie.

The film had its world premiere at the main competition of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival on 21 May, where it received widespread critical acclaim and won the Grand Prix.[4][5] It was theatrically released in Norway on 12 September by Nordisk Film.

At the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, it was nominated for Best Motion Picture – Drama alongside acting nominations for Reinsve, Skarsgård, Lilleaas, and Fanning. It was also selected as the Norwegian entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards,[6] making the December shortlist.[7]

Plot

[edit]

After film director Gustav Borg and psychotherapist Sissel end their troubled marriage, Gustav uses the divorce as an excuse to leave Norway and focus on his career. Sissel raises daughters Nora and Agnes in their Oslo home, which Gustav's family has owned for generations. In adulthood, Agnes works as a historian and is married with a son. Nora becomes a fairly successful actress, although she suffers from crippling bouts of stage fright. She is having an affair with her married colleague Jakob.

After Sissel dies, Gustav returns to Norway to reclaim the house. His daughters have grown to resent him for his extended absences and his drinking problem, although Agnes is more sympathetic to him. He tries to reconcile with his daughters, but their conversations are frequently derailed by his microaggressions and lack of emotional intelligence. He has a better relationship with Agnes' young son Erik, but even then, he primarily connects with Erik through movies.

Gustav's career is on the decline. He has trouble getting financing for his projects. His latest script was inspired by his mother Karin, a member of the Norwegian resistance movement who was tortured during the Nazi occupation. Karin died of suicide in the family home when Gustav was seven. Gustav proposes to film the movie in the actual home and to recreate Karin's suicide in the movie's climactic scene. He asks Nora to play the character inspired by her grandmother. Nora refuses to read the script.

To replace Nora, Gustav hires American actress Rachel Kemp. Rachel's stardom convinces Netflix to finance the project. The production grows troubled. Gustav resents working with Netflix. Rachel, unable to speak Norwegian, grows self-conscious about the fact that Gustav had to translate the script into English for her. Nora is put off by the fact that Gustav treats Rachel with more empathy than his daughters.

Jakob divorces his wife, Helena, but refuses to commit to Nora, and Gustav infuriates Nora by suggesting that her internal rage prevents her from finding love. Nora loses interest in work. Agnes has a row with Gustav after he casts her son in the movie without her permission. She is reminded of Gustav casting her in a movie to connect with her, and bitterly remarks that the film did not make up for his general failure to spend time with her. Rachel realizes that the role is not right for her and that Gustav is still preoccupied with Nora. To restore Gustav's creative freedom, Rachel quits the film. That evening, Gustav goes outside and drunkenly throws a middle finger at the house before collapsing and being hospitalized.

To understand her father better, Agnes visits the National Archives of Norway to read her grandmother's statement to the post-war government about her torture, which she otherwise refused to discuss with anyone. Sensing that Karin passed on her generational trauma to Gustav, Agnes reads Gustav's script. She realizes that while the film's plot is inspired by Karin, its emotional arc reflects his sincere regrets about his broken relationship with Nora. Agnes is particularly struck by the final scene, which mirrors Gustav's mother's suicide, but in a present day setting. Moved, Nora agrees to join the film.

Gustav finds the money to make the film without Rachel. Sometime later, production moves forward, now changed to a modern setting and filmed on a sound stage. Nora performs the climactic scene with Erik as her son. After the final take, she exchanges an understanding look with her father.

Cast

[edit]
  • Renate Reinsve as Nora Borg,[8] an actress from Oslo
  • Stellan Skarsgård as Gustav Borg, a celebrated film director and Nora and Agnes' father
  • Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas as Agnes Borg Pettersen, Nora's sister
  • Elle Fanning as Rachel Kemp, a famous American actress who plays the lead in Gustav's new film
  • Anders Danielsen Lie as Jakob, Nora's theater colleague and romantic interest
  • Jesper Christensen as Michael, Gustav's producer
  • Lena Endre as Ingrid Berger
  • Cory Michael Smith as Sam, Rachel's colleague
  • Catherine Cohen as Nicky, Rachel's colleague
  • Andreas Stoltenberg Granerud as Even Pettersen, Agnes' husband
  • Øyvind Hesjedal Loven as Erik, Agnes and Even's son
  • Lars Väringer as Peter, Gustav's retired cinematographer
  • Ida Marianne Vassbotn Klasson as Sissel Borg, Gustav's ex-wife and Nora and Agnes' mother

Production

[edit]

Principal photography commenced in August 2024 in Oslo.[9][10][11]

Release

[edit]
L–R: Director Joachim Trier, and actors Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas and Elle Fanning at a Q and A for Sentimental Value in New York City

On 10 April 2025, Sentimental Value was announced to be competing for the Palme d'Or at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it had its world premiere on 21 May 2025 and received a 19-minute standing ovation.[12][13][14] The film's trailer was released on 1 July.[15]

Neon bought the distribution rights for North America in May 2024 at the Cannes Film Festival when the film was first announced.[16] In April 2025, Mubi announced that they had acquired rights to the film for the United Kingdom, Ireland, Latin America, Turkey and India.[17] It was also screened in Open Air Premiere Programme at the 31st Sarajevo Film Festival in August 2025.[18] It was released in France on 20 August 2025 by Memento.[19] It was released in the United States on 7 November 2025 by Neon.[20] It was released in Spain on 5 December 2025 by Elastica,[21] and in the United Kingdom on 26 December by Mubi.[22]

Reception

[edit]
Joachim Trier received widespread acclaim for his direction and won the Grand Prix at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.

Critical response

[edit]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 97% of 213 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.8/10. The website's consensus reads: "Deftly exploring the uneasy tension between artistic expression and personal connection, Sentimental Value is a bracingly mature work from writer-director Joachim Trier that's marvelously acted across the board."[23] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 87 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[24]

In June 2025, IndieWire ranked the film at number 21 on its list of "The 100 Best Movies of the 2020s (So Far)".[25]

Year-end lists

[edit]

According to CriticsTop10.com, Sentimental Value appeared on 89 critics' annual "best-of" lists in 2025 .[26]

Accolades

[edit]
Main article: List of accolades received by Sentimental Value

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Sentimental Value (2025)". Unifrance. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  2. ^ "Sentimental Value (15)". British Board of Film Classification. 8 October 2025. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  3. ^ "Sentimental Value". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
  4. ^ "The films of the Official Selection 2025". Festival de Cannes. 10 April 2025. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
  5. ^ "Cannes Premiere of Sentimental Value". Hollywood Reporter. 21 May 2025. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  6. ^ "Oscars: Norway Picks Joachim Trier's Family Drama 'Sentimental Value' for Best Int'l Feature Race". The Hollywood Reporter. 26 August 2025. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  7. ^ Davis, Clayton (16 December 2025). "Oscars Shortlists Announced in 12 Categories: 'Sinners' and 'Wicked: For Good' Lead, 'Sirât' Gets Strong Showing". Variety. Retrieved 16 December 2025.
  8. ^ "AFFEKSJONSVERDI (SENTIMENTAL VALUE)". Festival de Cannes. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  9. ^ Lodderhose, Diana (21 May 2024). "Neon Takes North American Rights To Joachim Trier's 'Sentimental Value' Starring Renate Reinsve — Cannes". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
  10. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (15 August 2024). "Stellan Skarsgård, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas & Elle Fanning Join Renate Reinsve In Joachim Trier & Neon's 'Sentimental Value'; Filming Underway With Nordisk Film & BBC Film Among New Backers". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
  11. ^ Grobar, Matt (11 September 2024). "Cory Michael Smith Joins Joachim Trier's Neon Dramedy 'Sentimental Value'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
  12. ^ Keslassy, Elsa; Shafer, Ellise (10 April 2025). "Cannes Film Festival Unveils 2025 Lineup". Variety. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
  13. ^ "The Screenings Guide of the 78th Festival de Cannes". Festival de Cannes. 8 May 2025. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
  14. ^ Bamigboye, Baz; Hipes, Patrick (21 May 2025). "Joachim Trier's Sentimental Value Wows Cannes In Premiere, Gets Extraordinary 19-Minute Ovation". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  15. ^ Grobar, Matt (1 July 2025). "'Sentimental Value' Trailer: First Look At Joachim Trier's Cannes Grand Prix Winner Starring Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård & Elle Fanning". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  16. ^ Roxborough, Scott (21 May 2024). "Neon Buys Joachim Trier's and Renate Reinsve's 'Sentimental Value'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 22 May 2025. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  17. ^ Goldbart, Max (10 April 2025). "Mubi Acquires Rights To Joachim Trier's Cannes Competition Pic 'Sentimental Value'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
  18. ^ Szalai, Georg (4 August 2025). "'Dreams,' 'Sentimental Value' Among Sarajevo Film Festival's Open Air Lineup". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  19. ^ "Sentimental Value". Memento Distribution. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  20. ^ Lang, Brent (6 June 2025). "Joachim Trier's 'Sentimental Value' Gets November Release Date as Neon Plans Robust Awards Campaign (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 6 June 2025.
  21. ^ ""Valor sentimental" y Nouvelle Vague" llegarán próximamente a nuestros cines". MundoPlus. 21 June 2025.
  22. ^ MUBI (16 September 2025). SENTIMENTAL VALUE | Official Trailer | In Cinemas 26 December. Retrieved 11 November 2025 – via YouTube.
  23. ^ "Sentimental Value". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 25 October 2025. Edit this at Wikidata
  24. ^ "Sentimental Value". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
  25. ^ "The 100 Best Movies of the 2020s (So Far)". 16 June 2025. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
  26. ^ "Best Movies of 2025". CriticsTop10. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  27. ^ Ehrlich, David (3 December 2025). "The 25 Best Movies of 2025". IndieWire. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  28. ^ Debruge, Peter; Gleiberman, Owen (10 December 2025). "The Best Movies of 2025". Variety. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  29. ^ Hornaday, Ann (12 December 2025). "The 10 Best Movies of 2025". The Washington Post. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  30. ^ a b Bahr, Lindsey; Coyle, Jack (4 December 2025). "The Best Movies of 2025, Ranked by AP Film Writers". AP News. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  31. ^ Blauvelt, Christian (15 December 2025). "2025 Critics Poll: The Best Movies of the Year, According to 148 Critics". IndieWire. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  32. ^ a b Rooney, David; Frosch, Jon; Linden, Sheri (11 December 2025). "Hollywood Reporter Critics Pick the Best Films of 2025". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  33. ^ Travers, Peter (12 December 2025). "The 10 Best Movies of 2025". The Travers Take. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  34. ^ Barber, Nicholas; James, Caryn (5 December 2025). "'Sinners' to 'One Battle After Another': The 25 Best Films of 2025". BBC. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  35. ^ Chen, Nick (9 December 2025). "The 20 Best Films of 2025, Ranked". Dazed. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  36. ^ Fear, David (1 December 2025). "The 20 Best Movies of 2025". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  37. ^ Busis, Hillary; Ford, Rebecca; Ross, John; Murphy, Chris; Meltzer, Marisa (1 December 2025). "The 11 Best Movies of 2025". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  38. ^ Stevens, Dana (10 December 2025). "The 10 Best Movies of 2025". Slate. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
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