Joey Magidson
After how blown away I and many others were by The Worst Person in the World (raved about here), it would be easy for Joachim Trier‘s follow up to be a letdown. The fact that Sentimental Value is pretty much just as good is quite the achievement. Again tackling heady themes in a massively appealing and even entertaining manner, Trier has a deft handle on tone that allows him to go places others would not dare. Not only is this one of the best movies playing at the Toronto International Film Festival this year, it’s one of the better works of 2025, overall.
Sentimental Value is so good, it almost appears effortless for all involved. There’s less of a sense of discovery or being blown away than there was with The Worst Person in the World, but there’s still a clear feeling that you’re watching a master filmmaker emerge. The sense that Trier could still just be getting excited is kind of mind-boggling, given how well realized and effective his latest flick already is.
The Borg family has always been defined by patriarch Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård) and his filmmaking career. He was once a formidable director, having chosen his career over his daughters Nora (Renate Reinsve) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas). The former has pursued a career in the arts, choosing acting as her craft (when we meet her she’s dealing with a crippling case of anxiety backstage at one of her shows), while the latter has chosen family, seeking to have the home life she never had. The death of their mother brings Gustav back into their lives, as well as to the old house where they grew up. They always felt abandoned by him, though when they find out what he’s up to, there are whole other feelings emerging.
Gustav has written a new film about his own mother, an autobiographical tale that he’s convinced will return him to glory. He wants Nora to play the lead, though when she refuses, he hires Hollywood star Rachel Kemp (Elle Fanning). Soon, she arrives at the family home in Oslo to do research. These dynamics all begin to mix, as Gustav not just pursues the film, but also does attempt to mend the tears in the fabric of his relationships with his daughters, while they deal with their own issues, both with each other, as well as themselves.
Renate Reinsve and Stellan Skarsgård are immediately formidable Oscar contenders in Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor, respectively. Reinsve was snubbed for The Worst Person in the World, so this would be a just correction, while Skarsgård has never been nominated by the Academy previously. Both could end up being early frontrunners, too. Reinsve once again finds exciting ways to make her character lovable yet tough. It’s complex work that continues to show how she’s one of the most exciting young actresses in the business. Skarsgård has rarely been this good, proving charming yet also stubborn. You can see why he made his choices, while also seeing him only now figure out the damage that he’s caused. Both are splendid. Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas is a revelation, while Elle Fanning has some really strong moments as well. They’re all interacting with each other flawlessly, too. Supporting players include Jesper Christensen, Anders Danielsen Lie, Cory Michael Smith, and more.
Joachim Trier once again directs a screenplay he co-wrote with Eskil Vogt. There’s a slightly more mature quality to the work here, though no less entertaining. By creating such vivid characters, you’re happy just to spend time with them, so a sturdy narrative is almost a bonus. Trier and Vogt weave in the house as a character with its own history, one that ties deeply into the scars of the Borg family, doing so in a way that’s interesting as well as subtly emotional. It’s incredibly confident filmmaking, up and down the line.
Sentimental Value should be a major Oscar player, and rightly so. It’s nearly flawlessly done, and if it doesn’t come as a shock this time, it’s evidence that we have a special storyteller on our hands. Hopefully Joachim Trier makes a dozen more films with Renate Reinsve, as they’ve got something magical going on. TIFF is just the latest stop for this one, with an eventual date with the Academy Awards almost surely forthcoming.
SCORE: ★★★1/2
I was not blown away by The Worst Person in the World (I didn’t hate it, but I still don’t quite get the raves), so color me surprised that I really liked this movie. I totally understand the raves this time, and pretty much everyone in the principal cast lays a strong claim to awards recognition.
Glad we got you on board with this one!
Thank you very much. Just so our readers are aware, we just had a great meeting. A really good, a very productive meeting. We have one thing in common: We want this site of ours that we love to do very well. And I want to congratulate the Editor.
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