Sentimental Value

Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value can be evaluated very differently depending on the viewer’s expectations. What remains constant, however, is the director’s ability to handle a familiar, everyday subject—family bonds, relationships, and their reflections on individual lives—through his distinctive cinematic language. Beginning the narrative from the perspective of a house, and allowing this space to accompany the story as it unfolds, adds an additional layer to the film and prevents it from remaining one-dimensional. The performances are restrained and natural; when combined with Trier’s framing choices, they result in an understated portrayal rooted in everyday life. Ultimately, Sentimental Value stands as a film that aligns with the director’s previous work, offering the audience another quietly observant, life-centered Trier film.