by Charles Kirkland, Jr.
Two sisters reunite with their charismatic but absent father, as art and past wounds collide in a film about healing, memory, and forgiveness in the poignant family drama Sentimental Value.
After the death of their mother, estranged sisters Nora and Agnes Borg are unexpectedly reunited with their father, Gustav, a charismatic and once-renowned film director. Hoping to stage both a cinematic and familial comeback, Gustav offers Nora, a gifted but emotionally volatile stage actress, the lead role in his new film. When Nora refuses, he swiftly recasts her with rising Hollywood star Rachel Kemp, setting off a quiet storm of tension, betrayal, and buried resentment. With Rachel inserted into the fractured dynamic, the sisters must confront a lifetime of unresolved pain and the complicated legacy of the father who abandoned them.
Written by Joachim Trier and longtime collaborator Eskil Vogt, Sentimental Value marks a poignant return for Trier, reuniting him with Renate Reinsve following their celebrated work on The Worst Person in the World. The film also stars Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Stellan Skarsgård, and Elle Fanning in a cross-cultural ensemble that is both emotionally rich and beautifully restrained.
The family dynamic at the heart of the film is so intricately drawn and painfully authentic that it almost feels too real. Reinsve delivers a career-best performance as Nora, navigating rage, regret, and vulnerability with stunning control. Skarsgård is equally compelling as Gustav, effortlessly blending charm and narcissism into a character that’s hard to forgive but impossible to ignore. Lilleaas brings quiet strength to Agnes, whose more subdued pain adds a crucial counterpoint to her sister’s volatility.
Even for those unfamiliar with this kind of familial trauma, the performances invite deep empathy. Each actor inhabits their role with such conviction that the emotional complexity of their relationships feels entirely natural, even in their most uncomfortable moments.
Trier’s storytelling exists in a carefully constructed duality: a film about making a film, past versus present, nature versus nurture. He explores how two sisters, raised in the same fractured home, can emerge with such vastly different wounds. Where many films stumble in their meta-narratives, Trier maintains a sharp and accessible structure. The film-within-a-film concept is handled with clarity, especially in Nora’s staged performances, which are thoughtfully placed and never confusing. The nonlinear timeline is introduced early and handled deftly, serving the emotional rhythm of the story rather than distracting from it.
As its title suggests, Sentimental Value leans into emotion, but never cheaply. Trier guides us through a raw and intimate journey of reconciliation, self-examination, and quiet growth. It’s a story about what we inherit not just from our families, but from the stories we tell ourselves about who we are. By the end, each character, and perhaps each viewer, has softened slightly.
Grade: B
