Joachim Trier's 2025 film, Sentimental Value, is a poignant exploration of trauma, family dynamics, memory, and history. Children often project feelings and emotions onto inanimate objects, and the film opens with a young girl's perspective on the thoughts of an old house where her family had lived for generations. She wondered if the house felt sad when fewer people lived inside, or if, on the contrary, it felt relieved. Nora liked to believe the house was happier when it was brimming with laughter and conversation.
This gives us a glimpse into how, as a child, Nora felt safe and happy when more people were around. But as the years passed, the laughter and gaiety were replaced by loud arguments between her parents that Nora could hear through a crack in the wall, which terrified her. We soon learn that she was deeply affected by her father's abandonment.
Director: Joachim Trier
Writers: Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier
Stars: Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas
She never quite got over his decision, and even as an adult, she seemed to cherish the memory of the day her father expressed how proud he was of her when she received an excellent grade for a monologue she had written. In Sentimental Value, the father attempts to reconnect with his daughters, particularly Nora, and the path is fraught with pain, disappointment, and anger.
Gustav was determined to cast Nora in his next feature film. Nora had a distant relationship with her father, and she was visibly uncomfortable when he showed up at her mother's wake. She thought his sudden desire to fulfill his paternal duties was ill-timed. Her younger sister, Agnes, was more understanding of Gustav. She preferred to avoid confrontation with her father and chose to maintain a harmonious relationship with him.
In Sentimental Value, the bond between the sisters is crucial. While most aspects of Nora's life were uncertain, Agnes was her one constant support. Nora was an established stage actress. She suffered from extreme stage fright, which presumably stemmed from her fear of her father's disapproval. During her early days as an actress, she would look for her father in the audience, but he rarely showed up. And although he had been mostly absent from her life, Nora secretly always craved his approval.
Gustav disliked the theater and believed that Nora's potential wasn't being fully realized. Nora was dismayed by his arrogance when he asked her to read his film script. Perhaps she thought Gustav was trying to be a "savior" by offering to transform her career by giving her the opportunity to work on his film. Nora immediately rejected his offer. She refused even to read the script. She couldn't imagine working with her father and believed it would only worsen what could be described as their nonexistent relationship. Nora feared that, for a brief period, she would become the center of her father's universe, and just when she thought their relationship had improved, he would abandon her again. She wasn't willing to let him toy with her emotions. She had seen the effect it had on Agnes, who, as a child, had acted in one of Gustav's films. Agnes was left longing for her father's affection, but he left when filming was over.
After Gustav failed to convince Nora to act in his film, he considered Rachel Kemp for the role. She had been deeply moved after attending a retrospective of Gustav's films and had expressed her desire to work with him. She was a renowned actress and found a friend in Gustav. He encouraged her to follow her own path instead of waiting for the approval of her colleagues to accept projects she liked. Although Rachel was excited about the idea of working with Gustav, she soon realized that she might not be the right person for the role.
She sensed that the character was based on Nora. She was asked to dye her hair to match Nora's; she feared that if she played the part, the film wouldn't be the one Gustav intended to make. She initially wondered if the character had any connection to Gustav's mother, who, like the character, had committed suicide. She couldn't connect with the character; she didn't understand the catalyst that led her to suicide, and the fact that Gustav repeatedly mentioned that the character wasn't based on his mother didn't help.
Although Rachel genuinely wanted to work with Gustav, she finally realized that the collaboration wouldn't be fruitful. She sensed that Gustav was making several compromises and expected her to make the film exactly as he wanted. He shouldn't give in to the pressures of the world, something he had advised Rachel against during their first meeting. Gustav realized that he was, in fact, straying from his path; he had almost cast an English-speaking actor for the lead role, even though the character clearly needed to speak Norwegian, and he had agreed to work with Netflix despite his reservations.
The realization that age was taking its toll left Gustav feeling uneasy. He was reminded of how quickly time was slipping away when he saw his cinematographer, Peter, clinging to his cane as he struggled to move from one room to another. He was determined to always work with the same crew on every film, because the bond between them helped him bring his vision to life, but he had to accept that perhaps that would no longer be possible, even though Peter had only agreed to work on the film because Gustav had begged him.
Nothing was going as Gustav had hoped. He had probably been mentally planning his second feature film for almost his entire adult life, but bringing it to life visually had become an arduous task. The house bore witness to Gustav's dreams and regrets, and when everything was falling apart, Gustav gave the house an obscene gesture. The house was a painful reminder of the past, and all the characters, particularly Gustav, had a love-hate relationship with it.
This is probably the most pertinent question the audience will try to answer throughout Sentimental Value. To begin with, we were in Rachel's position; we only had scattered ideas and information, and it wasn't entirely clear what the film was about. But unlike Rachel, we also witness aspects of the characters that they chose to hide from the public, as well as private conversations that help us understand what Gustav's film was about. Gustav's film was about both the past and the present. Gustav's mother, Karin, was arrested by the Nazis, and according to the records that Agnes (who worked as a researcher on her father's films) discovered, she was brutally tortured.
The records included Karin's description of the assault; she had stated that the pain lasted for months. The photographs of the reenactment moved Agnes to tears. It wasn't the first time Agnes had heard about the torture her grandmother had suffered, but even so, reading her account and seeing the photos left her shaken. The next morning, when she met her father, she hugged him and held him a little longer than usual. He realized how traumatic it must have been for his father, who was just a child when his mother died.
Sentimental Value explores generational trauma; the torture and agony that Gustav's mother endured stayed with her always, even though she tried to resume a normal life. The pain was so overwhelming that, as much as she loved her son, she couldn't bear it anymore. Perhaps the nightmares worsened over time, and she found it difficult to explain to her loved ones what she was going through. Karin's decision had a tremendous impact on Gustav, and somehow, the pain she carried was passed on to her son. He moved out of the house, and for a time, Karin's sister, Edith, took care of things, but when she passed away, Gustav returned home, as he was the only heir. It wasn't easy for him to adjust to the house that had marked his childhood, and his wife, who had previously been his therapist, noticed his unease. They were in love when they started a family, but soon the differences between Gustav and Sissel became irreconcilable.
Nora and Agnes witnessed their parents' marital breakdown. Gustav had been repeatedly unfaithful to Sissel, and he complained of feeling trapped whenever he was at home with his family. So, one day, he left. Gustav probably didn't even know what he was looking for. He was a renowned filmmaker, but the peace and tranquility he longed for he never found. Perhaps he realized that it was impossible to find peace in another person when the chaos stemmed from within himself. He never got over his mother's sudden death, and the house was a constant reminder of his miserable childhood. Gustav passed on the pain and agony he felt to Nora and Agnes. It was unintentional; he was possibly so absorbed in his own torment that he didn't realize the effect his absence had on his daughters. When he did, it was already too late. Every little thing he said and did now had a devastating effect on his daughters, especially Nora.
Her father's rejection and the need for affection from an unattainable person during her childhood had shattered her. The constant fear of not being good enough and the lack of a safe space during her upbringing had left her overwhelmed and highly self-critical. Nora wasn't aware that the constant pain in her heart wasn't just the trauma of her childhood; she carried the agony of her ancestors. When Agnes read the script, there were moments when she thought the main character was based on her grandmother, but there were also moments when she felt it was about Nora.
Agnes mentioned something truly touching when Nora wondered how Agnes had turned out "so well" despite having gone through the same trauma. She replied that she had her older sister to brighten her life; Nora had protected Agnes and made sure her little sister felt loved and protected when the world around them was falling apart. But Nora had no one to lean on; she had to deal with her emotions alone. In the last stage of his life, Gustav finally realized that what he needed as a child was someone to protect him and listen to him, and the absence of a loved one ultimately resulted in his suffering. That's why Gustav repeatedly tried to connect with Nora, because he believed only he understood her pain and wanted to be there for her.
Nora was devastated when her father didn't show up at her performance even though he had said he would. Although she received praise from her admirers, Nora felt invisible without Gustav's approval. She didn't even know why she felt this way, but it was something she couldn't control. It was as if her father had failed the little girl who had patiently waited for him once again. She ended up spending the next few days locked in her apartment, almost wishing she could disappear. Fortunately, Agnes showed up at her door. She always visited her when Nora went completely silent. Nora had already attempted suicide, and that was the reason for Agnes's concern.
It was evident to her that Nora was going through a depressive phase, and Agnes knew the reason. Agnes felt it was important to share her thoughts about her father's script with Nora. She wanted her sister to know that their father cared more than she realized. Although she hadn't been told about Nora's suicide attempt, he seemed to know everything, as if he had witnessed what she had been going through. Agnes was astonished and insisted that Nora read the script. Nora and Agnes were moved to tears when Nora read a paragraph from the script.
Their father hadn't been the perfect father figure; he wasn't even good at admitting his mistakes, but in his writing, he poured out all his emotions. It was clear that he cared deeply for his daughters, and perhaps he was the only one who knew exactly what Nora had gone through all those years. He knew the unfathomable agony and pain. He wanted to be there for her, but he knew it was too late. That morning, the sisters were informed that their father had been admitted to the hospital. He was found unconscious in front of his house. They rushed to the hospital and were relieved to hear that their father was already joking with the nurse. Despite his flaws, Nora learned to understand him. She felt comforted knowing that he understood her in ways she couldn't even comprehend.
In the ending of Sentimental Value, we discover that Nora played the lead role in her father's film, and Agnes's son, Erik, played young Gustav. Peter also joined Gustav's team as the cinematographer. The film wasn't shot in the house as Gustav had initially planned; instead, they opted to design a set. The house was completely renovated and rebuilt in a modern style. It was time for someone else to begin a new chapter in the house, and that required a fresh start.
Perhaps Gustav finally sold the house instead of keeping it for sentimental reasons, and all the silent suffering the walls witnessed will remain a secret. Although the house was no longer his, it's likely that Gustav financed his film by selling the family home, and he made it exactly as he had envisioned. Gustav, Nora, and Agnes will carry with them the stories of their past generations, and Gustav's film is essentially an ode to his family, their history, their trauma, and their memories, a work of art that will endure forever.
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