It has been four years since Danish-Norwegian filmmaker Joachim Trier’s The Worst Person in the World premiered at Cannes. Whether one admired his previous work or not, his return marks one of the year’s most anticipated cinematic events. Fuelled by Charli XCX’s iconic Coachella declaration of a “JOACHIM TRIER SUMMER,” Sentimental Value became one of the most sought-after screenings at this year’s BFI London Film Festival, even as autumn settled over the city.


As its title suggests, Sentimental Value revolves around the emotional resonance of a house that occupies the film’s opening shots. The house belongs to Gustav Borg (Stellan Skarsgård), a once-celebrated but now-forgotten film director who has been living abroad. His ex-wife, Sissel, resided in the house until her death, an event that brings their daughters, Nora (Renate Reinsve) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas), back into contact with the father who abandoned them in childhood, choosing his career over parenthood. Nora has become a successful theatre actor, while Agnes has built a quiet family life with her husband and son. When Gustav attempts to return to directing, he offers Nora a role in his new project, a biopic about his mother, who took her own life in that same house after enduring torture during the war. Nora refuses the offer, and the part is later taken by an American star, Rachel Kemp (Elle Fanning), after she encounters one of Gustav’s wartime films at his retrospective. Meanwhile, Agnes begins to uncover the family’s hidden histories during the war.

Read my full review here: https://www.indiependent.co.uk/bfi-london-film-festival-2025-sentimental-value-review/