Sentimental Value Emerges as an Early Oscar Contender
The Rise of Sentimental Value
Norwegian director Joachim Trier reunites with actress Renate Reinsve to deliver Sentimental Value, a quietly powerful dramedy about family, memory, and art. The film premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it captured widespread acclaim and earned the Grand Prix.
Why It’s Gaining Awards Buzz
Critics point to several factors that elevate Sentimental Value into awards-season conversation:
- A distinguished cast including Stellan Skarsgård as the estranged father and Reinsve as one of the daughters navigating a difficult emotional inheritance.
- The thematic richness: the film explores loss, creative ambition and the uneasy ties between the personal and the professional. Decider+1
- Festival momentum and critical endorsement: After Cannes, follow-up coverage hails it as one of the more compelling films of the year.
The Oscars Road Ahead
Industry watchers believe Sentimental Value has a viable path to major nominations — including Best Picture, Director and International Feature. Awards Daily+2Awards Daily+2 That said, there are hurdles: as a largely non-English language film with a subtle emotional tone, its crossover appeal to the wider Academy voting body may be more limited than big-studio offerings. The Ringer+1
In Summary
Sentimental Value is not a blockbuster in the conventional sense — it’s a thoughtfully wrought film rooted in Scandinavian minimalism and emotional precision. But that very quality may become its strength as awards season deepens and voters look for authentic, character-driven work. If momentum holds, this film from Norway might surprise many when nominations are announced.
