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Joachim Trier’s ‘Sentimental Value’ Wins Over Critics as Theatrical Release Builds Awards Buzz

Critics emphasize exacting psychology as it interrogates the ethics of turning private pain into art.

Overview

  • The film follows adult sisters Nora and Agnes and their estranged filmmaker father Gustav, reunited after their mother’s death in a crumbling Oslo villa.
  • The villa operates as a memory-saturated setting that functions almost like a character, channeling grief, longing and shifting family dynamics.
  • A central conflict arises from Gustav’s screenplay based on his mother’s torture and later suicide, prompting questions about retraumatization and consent.
  • Renate Reinsve’s performance is widely hailed as the film’s standout, with strong notices for Stellan Skarsgård and stylistic echoes of Ingmar Bergman.
  • With a high-profile festival pedigree and a current cinema rollout, the film is generating sustained awards attention, including an active Oscar campaign.