IN PARTNERSHIP WITH VOLTA PICTURES
An intimate exploration of sisterhood, father–daughter bonds and the evocative pull of childhood memories
There are few filmmakers working today with a sensibility as sharp, searching and quietly affecting as Joachim Trier. Following the global success of The Worst Person in the World, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker reunites with BAFTA nominee Renate Reinsve for their eagerly anticipated follow-up, Sentimental Value, opening in Irish cinemas on December 26. A richly layered family drama that feels at once deeply personal and universally resonant. The film has received widespread acclaim and awards recognition, winning the prestigious Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, and receiving eight Golden Globe nominations including Best Film.
Sentimental Value explores the fractures and bonds that shape a family over time. At its centre is the Borg sisters: Nora, an acclaimed stage actress played with remarkable precision by Renate Reinsve, and Agnes, portrayed by Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas. Though their lives have diverged, Nora in the world of theatre and Agnes in the rhythm of motherhood, the sisters remain tied together by a childhood shaped by absence, resilience and unspoken grief.
Their estranged father Gustav Borg, played by Stellan Skarsgård, returns with charismatic force. Once a renowned filmmaker, Gustav reappears with a bold plan for a comeback film inspired by the family’s past. He offers Nora the leading role, reigniting old wounds and pushing Agnes into the familiar role of mediator. When Nora declines, Gustav simply casts someone else, and that decision becomes the catalyst for everything that follows.
That someone else is Rachel Kemp, a young American actress played by Elle Fanning. A Hollywood star hungry for artistic depth, Rachel steps into a family dynamic far more complex than she realises, bringing a softness and curiosity that shift the emotional balance between father and daughters. Her presence adds a new layer to the story, further exposing the fault lines beneath the family’s surface.
Themes of forgiveness, artistic legacy and the delicate space between creativity and catharsis run throughout the film. Nora, confident on stage, struggles to articulate her feelings in her own life. Agnes, the emotional centre of the family, loses parts of herself in her efforts to support others. Gustav, attempting to atone through art, risks reopening wounds that were never allowed to heal properly. Their reunion is tender, chaotic and deeply human.
The performances are exceptional. Reinsve brings a layered volatility to Nora, a woman caught between artistry and identity. Lilleaas shines as Agnes, the sister who carries the family’s emotional weight. Skarsgård gives Gustav both charm and vulnerability, creating a character who is frustrating yet sympathetic. Fanning adds an unexpected delicacy to Rachel, a woman searching for meaning beyond the fame she has outgrown.
Trier and his long-time co-writer Eskil Vogt have become known for their deep interest in the interior lives of their characters, and here they take that exploration even further. The family home, introduced in early flashbacks as a living presence in the sisters’ childhoods, becomes one of the film’s most powerful metaphors. A place where memories cling to walls, where affection and disappointment coexist, and where the past refuses to stay silent. The home mirrors the emotional inheritance the Borg family carries, the quiet stories passed down through generations and the weight of everything left unsaid.
Visually, the film is a love letter to Oslo. Cinematographer Kasper Tuxen captures the city’s light with clarity and warmth, shifting between interior intimacy and the expansiveness of outdoor scenes. Music plays a crucial role as always in Trier’s work, with artists like Terry Callier and Labi Siffre adding emotional texture to the film’s most poignant moments.
What results is a film that unfolds like a memory. Sentimental Value captures the contradictions of family life, the tenderness and tension, the love that survives disappointment, and the possibility of reconciliation in unexpected forms. Anchored by powerful performances and Trier’s unmistakable sensitivity, it is a moving meditation on the ties that shape us, the stories we inherit and the ones we choose to rewrite. Sentimental Value is in cinemas from December 26.
WIN DINNER FOR TWO IN GLORIA OSTERIA
To celebrate the release of Sentimental Value, Volta Pictures is giving one lucky reader of THE GLOSS the chance to win a €250-value dinner for two in Gloria Osteria, one of Dublin’s most spectacular new openings, an address where 1970’s Milanese elegance meets bold, irresistible Big Mamma flair. Enjoy an unforgettable evening of fresh pasta, bold flavours and a lively late-night atmosphere inspired by the Italian Riviera. Enter your name and email below …
T&Cs apply – subject to availability. The prize includes a €250 dinner for two adults, redeemable against food and drinks; any additional costs will be billed.
