Don't finalise your Favourite Films of 2025 list just yet. This Norwegian latecomer is a major contender. Joachim Trier's follow-up to the universally acclaimed The Worst Person in the World does not disappoint.
Prestigious film director Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård) returns to Oslo after the death of his ex-wife to reclaim the family home and attempt to reconcile with his now-adult daughters, whom he neglected as children in favour of his career.
Nora (Renate Reinsve) wears the emotional wounds of her unsteady upbringing. She is an emotionally raw actress with crippling stage fright. Nora's younger sister Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) lives a much more normal and calm existence. Married and raising a son, Agnes was also an actress as a child, but she now works as a historian.
Gustav's daughters both love and resent their father. Despite this, Gustav wants Nora to star in his new film, written about his mother and her suicide. A suspicious Nora refuses, and Gustav finds a replacement in the shape of famous American actress Rachel Kemp (Elle Fanning).
If you like your drama with eruptions of big emotions and screaming, you are in the wrong place. The most outwardly dramatic segment of Sentimental Value arrives at the very start as we see the complex Nora ushered through several phases of what may be a panic attack. She rips her costume and repeatedly storms away, but once they finally get her on stage, she is an undeniable and thoroughly professional talent. That storm of emotion lies beneath the surface for Nora and her sister for most of the runtime.
This is a far more subtle drama, a story of microaggressions and barely noticeable expressions. The phrase "see it on the big screen" is often reserved for large-scale epics, but catching the understated performances of one of the best ensemble casts of the year is no less valid a reason. Every face is telling us something, and we need to see it in detail. It's why seasoned film director Gustav says he dislikes theatre. You never see the face. The cast is so strong that even a clip from a fictional film within the film contains one of the best child performances you will see all year.
The art of subtlety is combined with an unforced tendency to play against expectations and clichés, as seen in Trier's previous work. Elle Fanning's Rachel Kemp is a perfect example. She could easily be portrayed as a shallow, pretentious American socialite, and while some humour is drawn from her attempts to imitate a Norwegian accent, Rachel is a genuine artist who wants to do justice to her new director's vision.
It is the very real portrayal of family tension, the frustrations of artistic expression, the stunning performances of the central cast, and a heavy dose of warm, effortless humour that make Sentimental Value feel like a refreshing shower at the end of a mixed cinematic year. It also confirms Renate Reinsve as one of the most exceptional actors of her generation. You will be thinking about it for weeks to come.
