Synopsis
In Sentimental Value, Danish-Norwegian director Joachim Trier—whose The Worst Person in the World was my absolute favorite film of 2023—reunites with Renate Reinsve to tell the story of a broken family colliding with an artistic ego. Stellan Skarsgård plays an aging indie director who returns to his family home in Oslo after years of absence. Following his ex-wife’s death, he decides to take over the house to film his “final masterpiece”: a comeback movie about his own marriage. To complicate matters, he offers the lead role to his eldest daughter (Reinsve), asking her to play a version of her own mother. What follows is a painful examination of an artist who demands understanding from the very people he abandoned.
What I Liked
• The “No Remorse” Antagonist: Stellan Skarsgård is fantastic here. He isn’t a villain in the traditional sense; he is simply an artist who lacks the capacity for guilt. He abandoned his family for years, yet he returns with an attitude of “just move on.” Watching him try to use the family house as a film to literally turning their trauma into art is a brilliant depiction of how selfish the creative process can be.
• The Tale of Two Sisters I found the contrast between the two sisters fascinating. The younger sister (Ibsdotter) has managed to build a stable, “normal” life. Meanwhile, the older sister (Reinsve) is in distress. She has no partner, no kids, and is struggling to function as an actress. The movie explores why one sibling can “move on” while the other remains stuck in the wreckage left by the parents.
• Renate Reinsve’s Panic Just like in The Worst Person in the World, Reinsve is a force of nature. She portrays a woman in a state of constant, quiet panic. She is angry at her father, yet she has a desperate, childlike need for his validation. It is a very mature, complex performance that avoids easy answers.
What Could Be Better
• The “Meta” Distraction The movie focuses heavily on the mechanics of the father’s production. The scripts, the casting, the “comeback” narrative. While interesting, it sometimes feels a bit too meta. The story is strongest when it focuses on the family instead of the film development.
• The “Hollywood” Subplot The relationship between the director and the American actress (Elle Fanning) feels like a detour. While the conflict with his actual daughter is raw and intense, the scenes with Fanning are surprisingly soft. Instead of adding depth, this subplot deflates the tension of the family drama, distracting us from the real emotional stakes.
• The Ambiguity of the Ending Without spoiling it, the film refuses to give us a clear resolution on whether the “art” was worth the pain. It leaves the audience to decide if the father is a genius or a monster. While I appreciate mature storytelling, I felt the movie held back exploring the intensity of an absent father.
My Insight
The artist sacrifices everyone but himself. We often romanticize the “tortured artist.” Sentimental Value flips the script. The artist (the father) isn’t the one tortured; he is focused and motivated making his masterpiece. The ones being tortured are the family members he uses as props. The film suggests that for some creators, people only have value if they can be turned into a scene. The “sentimental value” isn’t about love; it’s about art.
Rating 🌟9/10.
A fantastic, deeply human film about the damage parents leave behind, and the impossible task of acting normal when your director is your dad.
Recommendation: If you liked The Worst Person in the World, this is mandatory viewing
For Discussion
The father wants to film a movie about his deceased wife in the house she died in. Is there a moral line where “artistic freedom” becomes “emotional theft”?
Related Works
- The Worst Person in the World (2021) – The spiritual predecessor to this film, also starring Renate Reinsve.
- The Meyerowitz Stories (2017) – For a lighter but equally painful look at an artistic father casting a shadow over his kids.
- Aftersun (2022) – For a different perspective on a daughter trying to understand her father through the lens of memory/media.
Technical Info
- Director: Joachim Trier
- Starring: Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, Inga Ibsdotter, Elle Fanning
- Platform: Theatrical and soon in MUBI
- Year: 2025
- Genre: Drama
