Sentimental Value (2025) — A Tender Family Drama from Joachim Trier

In Theaters November

After dazzling audiences at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value (Norwegian: Affeksjonsverdi) arrives in theaters this November — a beautifully layered, deeply emotional story about art, memory, and the fragile bonds that tie families together.

🌿 A Story of Family, Art, and Emotional Reckoning

Sisters Nora and Agnes reunite with their estranged father, Gustav — a once-renowned film director — after years of silence and resentment.

When Gustav offers Nora, a talented but guarded stage actress, a role in his comeback film, she refuses, unwilling to reopen old wounds. But when she learns that he’s cast a young Hollywood star, Rachel Kemp (played by Elle Fanning), in her place, buried tensions rise to the surface. As the film begins production, the sisters are drawn back into their father’s world, forced to confront the creative and emotional chaos that has long defined their family.

Set against Norway’s stunning natural landscapes, Sentimental Value explores what it means to forgive, to create, and to rediscover love in the wreckage of the past.

🌍 From Cannes to the Oscars

Premiering in the Main Competition at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, Sentimental Value received widespread critical acclaim, winning the Grand Prix and earning standing ovations for its emotionally charged performances and Trier’s delicate direction.

It has since been chosen as Norway’s official entry for the 98th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category — marking another milestone in Trier’s illustrious career following The Worst Person in the World.

🎭 A Stellar Cast and Crew

The film reunites Trier with long-time collaborator Eskil Vogt, who co-wrote the screenplay, and cinematographer Kasper Tuxen, whose visuals bathe the film in a soft, melancholy glow.

Cast:

• Renate Reinsve as Nora Borg — a brilliant stage actress haunted by her past.

• Stellan Skarsgård as Gustav Borg — a fading director desperate to reclaim both his legacy and his daughters’ affection.

• Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas as Agnes Borg Pettersen — Nora’s grounded, pragmatic sister.

• Elle Fanning as Rachel Kemp — a Hollywood outsider thrust into a family’s emotional turmoil.

The score, composed by Hania Rani, blends piano-driven melodies with atmospheric strings, capturing the film’s tone — nostalgic, tender, and quietly devastating.

🎥 Behind the Camera

Directed by: Joachim TrierWritten by: Joachim Trier & Eskil VogtProduced by: Maria Ekerhovd, Andrea Berentsen OttmarCinematography: Kasper TuxenEditing: Olivier Bugge CouttéMusic: Hania Rani

Production Companies: Mer Film, Eye Eye Pictures, MK Productions, BBC Film, Zentropa, Komplizen Film

Distributed by: Nordisk Film (Nordics), Memento (France), Plaion Pictures (Germany), and Mubi (UK)

🧩 Why You Should Watch Sentimental Value

Trier once again proves his mastery of human emotion. Like his earlier works, this film is deeply personal yet universally relatable — a story about fractured families, artistic ego, and the tender ache of reconciliation.

With Renate Reinsve and Stellan Skarsgård delivering career-defining performances, Sentimental Value promises to be one of 2025’s most emotionally resonant dramas.

🎞️ Release Info

• World Premiere: May 21, 2025 — Cannes Film Festival

• Norway Release: September 12, 2025

• UK & US Theatrical Release: November 2025

• Runtime: 133 minutes

• Languages: Norwegian & English

🧠 Final Thoughts

Sentimental Value isn’t just a film about filmmaking — it’s a film about the stories we tell ourselves to survive love, regret, and time. With its sharp writing, elegant performances, and emotional honesty, Joachim Trier’s latest is a cinematic experience that lingers long after the credits roll.

Whether you’re drawn by its powerhouse cast, its Oscar buzz, or Trier’s poetic storytelling, one thing’s certain: Sentimental Value will leave an impression that’s hard to shake.