---
title: "Sentimental Value"
year: 2025
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/sentimental-value"
fi1m_id: "sentimental-value"
imdb_id: "tt27714581"
tmdb_id: 1124566
wikidata_id: "Q130284179"
fi1m_score: 79
critics_score: 82
critics_reviews: 16
published: "2026-09-09"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:37:47.776150+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Sentimental Value (2025)

Directed by Joachim Trier · 2h 13m · MPA R · Drama, Comedy

## Identity

Sentimental Value

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/sentimental-value
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** sentimental-value
- **IMDb ID:** tt27714581
- **TMDB ID:** 1124566
- **Wikidata ID:** Q130284179
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27714581/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1124566, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q130284179

**Fi1m score: 79** · Critics 82 from 16 reviews

*In a sentence:* Dad cannot say sorry, so he writes a film about it and casts an American

> Joachim Trier’s family drama is patient, well acted and funny in the way real families are, and Skarsgård and Reinsve are as good as everyone says. We recommend it. We also found it neater than it needed to be.

## Synopsis

Gustav Borg (Stellan Skarsgård) is a film director who walked out on his family a long time ago. When his daughters’ mother dies, he returns to the wooden house in Oslo where the girls grew up, carrying a script. It is about the house and about his own family, and he wants his elder daughter Nora (Renate Reinsve), a stage actress, to play the lead. Her sister Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) has a family of her own and a different memory of their father. Elle Fanning appears as Rachel Kemp, an American film star, and Anders Danielsen Lie as Jakob. Written by Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt; directed by Trier. 133 minutes, certificate 15.

## Review

Gustav Borg (Stellan Skarsgård) is a film director who has not been much of a father, and he knows it. When his daughters’ mother dies, he comes back to the wooden house in Oslo where the girls grew up and where he has not been welcome for years. He has brought a script. It is about the house and about his own family, and he wants Nora (Renate Reinsve), a stage actress, to play the lead. She will not read it. Her sister Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) does, and finds more of herself in it than she was expecting.

Joachim Trier wrote it with Eskil Vogt, and it is a good film: patient, well acted, funny in the way families are funny when nobody is trying to be. We recommend it. We also came out slightly less moved than the film wanted us to be, and we think we can say why.

Start with the house, because the film does. Before anyone speaks for themselves, a narrator tells us its history and the people who have lived in it. Jørgen Stangebye Larsen’s production design makes it a place that has been lived in rather than dressed: panelled walls, a kitchen too small for the number of people who keep gathering in it, a garden that has got away from everyone. Kasper Tuxen shoots it in warm lamplight and lets the winter come through the windows grey. He has one habit we admired, which is to frame the sisters in doorways so there is always a room behind them that they are not in.

Skarsgård plays Gustav as a man who is charming to strangers and useless to his children, and he never asks us to forgive him. Reinsve gives Nora a temper she keeps just under the surface, and the film’s best scenes are the ones where it nearly comes up: a dinner, a phone call, a rehearsal she should not have agreed to. What moved us more than we expected was Skarsgård early on, standing in the house he used to own and waiting to be told where he is allowed to sit. He does almost nothing with his face. It is all in the pause before he speaks, and in the sense that he has rehearsed this arrival many times and still does not know his lines.

Fanning, as Rachel Kemp, an American star who drifts into Gustav’s orbit, is the film’s cleverest piece of casting. Rachel is sincere, hard-working and entirely out of place, asking the questions this family has spent decades not asking, and Fanning plays her without a trace of the joke the film could have made of her. Olivier Bugge Coutté cuts between the family and the film being made about the family, so that we watch Rachel rehearse a scene from the sisters’ childhood in the room where it happened. That is where the film’s idea lives, and when it works it is unnerving.

What we resist is the tidiness. Everyone here needs something and nearly everyone gets it, and the getting is done through art: a scene written, a scene played, a scene watched. Trier assumes that making the film will mend the family, and shows us the assumption more than the mending. Hania Rani’s piano score, sparse and lovely for most of the running time, arrives in the last half hour to tell us how to feel at the moments we were already feeling it. A strand about how Gustav’s film gets financed, and which sort of screen it is destined for, is the one place where Trier’s own grievances get louder than his characters. A few critics have found the film cold. We did not; it is warm. It is just very neat.

Against his own work, it is the most generous thing he has made and the least dangerous. *The Worst Person in the World* was messier, and the mess was the point. Reinsve and Anders Danielsen Lie, the couple from that film, are both here again, though Lie’s Jakob gets only a handful of scenes.

It is 133 minutes and earns them by talking rather than shouting. See it with a sibling, if you have one you have not rung lately.

*Fi1m score 79, published 9 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics agree on where the strength lies: in Stellan Skarsgård and Renate Reinsve as an estranged filmmaker father and his actress daughter, whose performances nearly every review singles out, and in the family house, which several critics treat as the film’s real centre. The reviews are warm and the spread is narrow, with fifteen positive notices, one mixed and none negative. Joachim Trier’s handling of family trauma, sisterhood and the uses of art draws steady praise, as does the wit of the dialogue.

The reservations are quiet and consistent rather than sharp. The New Yorker finds it sedate and too neatly arranged, and doubts its faith that making art will heal a family; The AV Club, while positive, thinks it cold and distant. Collider calls it uneven, with a slow start and a stray argument about cinema versus streaming. A few British critics judge it good rather than great, tidier and less messy than Trier’s earlier work.

## Straight answers

**Is Sentimental Value worth watching?**

*Sentimental Value* is worth watching for anyone with patience for a family drama that talks rather than shouts, and we scored it 79. Skarsgård and Reinsve are as good as everyone says, and the film is funny in the way real families are. It is also neater than it needs to be, and it ends up telling you how to feel at moments when you already did.

**How long is Sentimental Value, and what is it rated?**

*Sentimental Value* runs 2h 13m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a drama and comedy film.

**Where can I watch Sentimental Value in the US?**

*Sentimental Value* is streaming on Hulu and Disney+ in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from $5.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Sentimental Value, and is it suitable for children?**

*Sentimental Value* is a 15 certificate in the UK, and there is nothing violent or frightening in it. It is a drama about a father who walked out on his family and the daughters he left behind, and the difficulty is emotional rather than graphic. Children would be bored rather than upset; teenagers with an interest in acting or a complicated parent may find plenty in it.

**What should I watch after Sentimental Value?**

After *Sentimental Value*, try [*Hannah and Her Sisters*](https://film.one/film/hannah-and-her-sisters) (1986, Fi1m 88): Three sisters, one flat, everybody talking over everybody; the warm end of the genre. Then [*The Worst Person in the World*](https://film.one/film/the-worst-person-in-the-world) (2021, Fi1m 84): Trier and Reinsve the first time, looser and riskier, and the better for it.

### Reviews we read (23)

- **The Times**, Tom Shone (5/5): Joachim Trier’s film performs the magic trick of making one family’s secrets and memories feel universal, like a modern Hannah and Her Sisters with gossipy warmth and powerful underplayed emotion. It combines the satisfactions of arthouse filmmaking with the emotional wallop of great melodrama, thanks to invisible acting and Trier’s springy, playful handling of heavy themes. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/this-five-star-movie-is-like-a-woody-allen-film-only-without-the-guilt-qsf75gs2s)
- **Vulture** (90/100, inferred): The critic hails it as sublime, praising its exploration of family dynamics and the performances, especially Reinsve and Skarsgård, and the house as a central element. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/review-the-sublime-sentimental-value-is-the-toast-of-cannes.html)
- **Empire**, Emily Maskell (85/100, inferred): The critic highlights the strong showcase for Renate Reinsve and Stellan Skarsgård, along with Trier’s insightful handling of sisterhood, trauma, and the meta relationship between cinema and reality. It calls the film a moving drama that lingers, despite occasional over-sentimentality. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/sentimental-value/)
- **The New York Times** (85/100, inferred): The critic finds Joachim Trier’s drama a moving portrait of a family haunted by the past, centered on an estranged filmmaker father and his actress daughter. It highlights the beautifully synced performances of Stellan Skarsgård and Renate Reinsve as difficult but charismatic figures whose story becomes one of love. [Read](https://nytimes.com/2025/11/06/movies/sentimental-value-review-joachim-trier.html)
- **Little White Lies**, Hannah Strong (4/4/4): Trier’s latest is moving in moments with sharp, quick-witted dialogue and offers insights into parental and sibling relationships, though it is very good rather than great compared to his earlier work. Skarsgård excels as a father unable to express himself except through his art. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/sentimental-value)
- **The Independent** (80/100, inferred): The review praises the delicate performances, particularly from Stellan Skarsgård and Renate Reinsve, in exploring generational trauma and the tug between art and family. It notes the film is somewhat cleaner and less messy than Trier’s earlier work but still argues effectively for honest expression through cinema. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/sentimental-value-review-uk-release-date-b2884880.html)
- **Time Out**, Christina Newland (4/5): Trier’s sensitive sisterhood drama mines the psyches of two sisters dealing with their estranged, egotistical filmmaker father and delivers a nuanced, poignant portrait of family love and strife through excellent performances. It is thoughtful and moving, better than group therapy. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/sentimental-value-review-2025)
- **The AV Club**, Brianna Zigler (B): The review finds the film affecting with strong performances, particularly Skarsgård, but notes it feels somewhat cold and distant despite its themes of trauma and family. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/sentimental-value-review)
- **The New Yorker**, Justin Chang (65/100, inferred): The review praises the impeccably crafted film and strong performances, especially from Renate Reinsve and Stellan Skarsgård, but finds it overly sedate and diagrammatic rather than fully emotionally engaging. It notes Trier’s restraint but criticizes the assumption that art will automatically heal family wounds. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/11/17/sentimental-value-movie-review-jay-kelly)
- **Screen Daily**: Trier’s sensitive sixth feature reunites him with Reinsve in a nuanced story of an actress daughter and her director father exploring family roles and the silences between parents and children. The leads bring incredible tenderness to this smart, thoughtful tearjerker that is far from mawkish. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/sentimental-value-review-renate-reinsve-and-joachim-trier-reunite-for-moving-family-drama/5205383.article)
- **Sight and Sound**: Trier’s follow-up to The Worst Person in the World is a gorgeous, generous drama in which an egotistical director tries to reconnect with his estranged daughters by casting one in his autobiographical film. Strong performances, especially from Skarsgård and Reinsve, ground its meditation on inherited family suffering and the limits of art. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/sentimental-value-egotistical-director-tries-reconnect-with-his-family-through-cinema-joachim-triers-gorgeous-drama)
- **The Guardian**: Joachim Trier’s exuberant drama follows an ageing egomaniac film director (Stellan Skarsgård) who returns to disrupt his estranged adult daughters’ lives while attempting a late-career comeback using the family home for a semi-autobiographical film. The critic finds it a baggy, self-aware comedy with cinephile in-jokes and emotional vampirism that ultimately delivers some real sentimentality and value despite its indulgences. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/may/21/sentimental-value-review-cannes)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, David Rooney: The critic praises the film's emotional depth and exploration of family and memory, singling out the performances and the house as a repository of history for praise. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/sentimental-value-review-renate-reinsve-joachim-trier-1236223376/)
- **The Telegraph**: Stellan Skarsgård gives one of his best performances as a difficult, curmudgeonly filmmaker attempting to reconnect with his estranged daughter (Renate Reinsve) through a passion project about family trauma. The nimble, witty screenplay and strong ensemble allow the film to flow ravishingly through complex emotional terrain involving art, family psychology and the therapeutic value of creation. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/sentimental-value-review-stellan-skarsgard/)
- **Variety**, Peter Debruge: The critic calls the film a resonant, mature family drama that uses a beautiful old house as a metaphor for healing and reconciliation through art. It singles out the layered dynamics between the sisters and the strong ensemble, including Elle Fanning, as a highlight of Trier’s work. [Read](https://variety.com/2025/film/reviews/sentimental-value-review-aafeksjonsverdi-1236405810/)
- **The Playlist**, Gregory Ellwood (A-): Praises the stellar performances by Reinsve and Skarsgård in Trier's sublime generational drama, noting the humanist moments and brilliant hopeful ending that resolves the family's trauma. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/sentimental-value-review-renate-reinsve-stellan-skarsgard-are-stellar-in-joachim-triers-sublime-generational-drama-cannes-20250521)
- **The Wrap** (90/100, inferred): Trier has made his best film yet, a subtle yet sweeping tapestry of art and family that takes the breath away with its emotional gut punches and reflections on creating art from life. Outstanding performances, especially from Renate Reinsve and Stellan Skarsgård, support the focused exploration of family and cinema. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/sentimental-value-review-joachim-trier-renate-reinsve/)
- **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (80/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's meditative quality and satisfying conclusion that captures human truth without being overly sentimental. Standout performances are highlighted, especially Stellan Skarsgård's as the estranged father. [Read](https://deadline.com/2025/05/sentimental-value-review-joachim-trier-1236406716/)
- **Den of Geek**, Joe George (80/100, inferred): The film stands out for its quiet, personal approach to family strife and the making of a movie, excelling through subtle conversations and character dynamics rather than big dramatic moments or spectacle. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/sentimental-value-quiet-best-picture-nom-deserves-attention/)
- **Eye for Film**, Amber Wilkinson (80/100, inferred): The critic praises Trier's ability to handle intellectual ideas naturally in a textured drama about family roles and generational trauma, highlighting the strong performances especially from the cast in exploring emotional ambiguity and sibling bonds. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/sentimental-value-2025-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson)
- **The Skinny**, Stefania Sarrubba (★★★★): Trier’s most expansive film to date is a poignant exploration of fractured families and generational baggage centered on a single house; Reinsve’s raw performance captures bubbling resentment with devastating honesty. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/sentimental-value-review)
- **Collider**, Therese Lacson (70/100, inferred): The critic finds the family drama compelling and praises the performances, especially Stellan Skarsgård and Renate Reinsve, but notes the film is uneven due to extraneous commentary on film vs. streaming and a slow start. [Read](https://collider.com/sentimental-value-review-stellan-skarsgard-elle-fanning)
- **Paste**, Jason Gorber (8.0): The critic praises the emotional depth, powerful acting especially by Renate Reinsve, and Trier's handling of family trauma and reconciliation through art, calling it unabashedly sentimental yet effective. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/joachim-trier/sentimental-value-movie-review-renate-reinsve-joachim-trier-elle-fanning-plot-emotion-cannes)

## Details

- **Director:** Joachim Trier
- **Director:** Joachim Trier
- **Writer:** Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier
- **Cinematography:** Kasper Andersen
- **Editor:** Olivier Bugge Coutté
- **Music:** Hania Rani
- **Production design:** Jørgen Stangebye Larsen
- **Costume design:** Ellen Ystehede
- **Producer:** Maria Ekerhovd, Andrea Berentsen Ottmar
- **Cast:** Renate Reinsve as Nora Borg; Stellan Skarsgård as Gustav Borg; Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas as Agnes Borg Pettersen; Elle Fanning as Rachel Kemp; Anders Danielsen Lie as Jakob; Jesper Christensen as Michael; Lena Endre as Ingrid Berger; Cory Michael Smith as Sam
- **Runtime:** 2h 13m
- **Certificate (MPA):** R
- **Release (the US):** 21 November 2025
- **Genres:** Drama, Comedy
- **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Nominee, 2025); [BAFTA Best Film winners](https://film.one/collections/bafta-best-film.md) (Nominee, 2025); [Golden Globe Best Drama winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-drama.md) (Nominee, 2025)
- **Budget:** $8 million
- **Box office:** $24 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBFstFXdk90

## Where to watch in the US

- Hulu: streaming, uhd
- Disney+: add-on, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: rent $5.99, uhd
- Apple TV: rent $5.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $19.99, uhd
- Apple TV: buy $19.99, hd

*Checked 2026-09-10.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, HK, HR, HU, IE, IN, IT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PL, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TH, TR, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2026: Best Picture (nominated); Best International Feature Film (won)
- Amanda Award for Best Film 2026: Amanda Award for Best Film (won)
- Cannes Film Festival 2025: Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix (won)

## If you liked this

- *Summer Hours* (2008): Assayas on a family and a house after a mother dies; quieter, and just as sharp
- *Autumn Sonata* (1978): Bergman’s artist mother and abandoned daughter, one long night, no mercy
- *Still Walking* (2008): Kore-eda’s family gathering where every kindness has an edge; the model for this kind of film
- *Hannah and Her Sisters* (1986), Fi1m 88: Three sisters, one flat, everybody talking over everybody; the warm end of the genre — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/hannah-and-her-sisters.md)
- *The Worst Person in the World* (2021), Fi1m 84: Trier and Reinsve the first time, looser and riskier, and the better for it — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-worst-person-in-the-world.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/sentimental-value