The Knockturnal
  • Home
  • Entertainment
  • Music
  • Lifestyle
  • News
  • Videos
  • Covers
  • Merch
ArtEntertainmentEventsFilmLifestyleThe Latest

Joachim Trier’s New Film Perfects Both Sentiments and Value

Sentimental Value slots in as one of the best films of our generation.

by Ishan Wankavala October 8, 2025
by Ishan Wankavala October 8, 2025 0 comments
191

Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value is a beautifully crafted exploration of family, memory, and the fragile artistry that binds generations. It is one of the best films of this decade, if not ever.

What felt immediately striking about this film, as one of my first impressions at its premiere at the New York Film Festival, was its seamless integration of thematic depth with formal precision. From the first frames, the house in Nora’s childhood essay becomes more than a setting—it’s a character, a basket of loss and longing. Joachim Trier, with co-writer Eskil Vogt, builds a narrative architecture that is patient yet insistent, probing how unspoken history can both imprison and define, just like the house the story is confined to.

This is one of the most immediately rich veins the film examines: how memory is embedded in place. Rather than remaining merely a backdrop, the house carries the emotional history of childhood, parental conflict, and intergenerational trauma. Trier stages moments where characters literally revisit the rooms of their youth, where architecture and objects (vases, windows, grates) are loaded with affect. Agnes as a historian, Nora as an actress, Rachel as the outsider—all three inhabit different relationships to truth, performance, and legacy. Art becomes both remedy and wound. Gustav’s desire to make a “comeback” film—casting his daughter, invoking his mother’s story—raises questions about authorship: whose story is being told, and at what cost? The film doesn’t resolve these neatly, but that’s its strength: it acknowledges that reconciliation is partial, messy, sometimes incomplete.

What makes the character interplay especially powerful is how Trier avoids melodrama. Emotional breakthroughs are earned rather than scripted, through what is remembered, what is omitted, and what is lingered on. A great example is a scene at Agnes’s son’s birthday: Gustav’s offhand comment is delivered with familial intimacy yet cuts with the force of long-buried disappointment. It’s these small, carefully modulated wounds that accumulate, shaping the daughters’ relationship with their father and with each other. All of these moments are delivered through heart-stopping performances by the stellar cast, leaving little to be desired.

Renate Reinsve gives perhaps her most finely solidified work to date as Nora. She balances public performance (on stage, in front of others) and internal collapse with a precision that never feels showy. The stage fright scenes, the moment of breakdown before opening night, were my personal favorite; they are harrowingly honest, each gesture modest but weighty, and a great way to begin the film. Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, as Agnes, offers a foil neither in competition nor in judgment but in quiet tension; her more contained character allows for subtler emotional edges, especially when memory and responsibility collide. Stellan Skarsgård’s Gustav embodies both creative grandiosity and wounded patriarch: he is both the object of resentment and love, whose return doesn’t simplify—but complicates—the emotional terrain. Elle Fanning, as Rachel Kemp, brings in a dimension of external pressure, the outside gaze, which amplifies the stakes without tipping into caricature. Her character, especially, is intriguing—her role in the film mirrors her position as an actress with the cast itself, both unfamiliar strangers and both seeking a way to fit into the established family and story through struggle. Her character is handled beautifully, and does not succumb to the dumb and comic-relief syndrome that “Hollywood-actor” characters usually evoke.

As a bit of a cinematography nerd, I couldn’t help but marvel at the decision to shoot primarily on 35mm Kodak stock, supplemented by 16mm for historical flashbacks. This is significant since the cinematographer, Kasper Tuxen, tells a story through the actual tech used, and provides a texture that reinforces the film’s concern with time, with what lingers. According to interviews, the film uses Kodak VISION3 250D, 500T, and even 50D for daylight exteriors, plus vintage lenses in flashbacks (Cooke Varotal, Super Baltars), all helping to delineate eras and emotional registers. Visually, the Oslo house—memory-laden and haunted—is shot both as refuge and battleground. Interiors are suffused with natural daylight bleeding through windows, capturing dust motes, skin tones, blushes, red eyes—all of the bodily traces of grief. Exterior scenes, such as the set on the beach at dusk, are grand but intimate: the lighting is generous without being showy, allowing human gestures to emerge against a wide sky and sea without losing scale. The editing of the film (by Olivier Bugge Coutté) supports this visual sensitivity. The pacing allows silences to exist uncomfortably; cut to black moments interrupt the rhythm in ways that feel intentional and jarring, as if inviting shock from the viewer. These pauses grant space for reflection—or simply for the weight of what isn’t being said. The film’s structure, with its flashbacks, chapters, and the film-within-a-film device, is all handled so that thematic echoes multiply rather than distract.

What makes Sentimental Value one of Trier’s best, and one of this year’s most memorable films, is its synthesis: penning a story that is richly layered (family, memory, art, trauma) while still grounding it in small moments. By the time the credits rolled, I felt as if I’d witnessed not a neatly resolved reconciliation but a fragile offering of possibility. It’s a film that will stay with me—not because it gives answers, but because it asks not to forget. It’s a slice of life, a glimpse of a peek through a window at characters that I’m convinced will continue to exist and live after the movie is complete.

In sum, I believe Sentimental Value is a major artistic achievement: emotionally rigorous, formally sophisticated, visually lush, and deeply humane. A story initially small in scope that felt like it had been expanded and inflated and pulled a thousand ways, it confirms Trier as among the most thoughtful filmmakers working today, able to draw out performances, craft atmosphere, and pose questions that linger.

If you value films that take time, that allow sorrow and laughter to coexist, that are haunted but not defeated, this is one to savor.

joachim trierLincoln centerNew York Film Festivalnycstellar skarsgard
0 comments 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Ishan Wankavala

previous post
Inside Peach Riot’s x Cider PJ Party of Style and Comfort
next post
The Denyce Graves Foundation: Harvest Moon Gala 2025

Related Posts

Kathy Hilton Unwraps Her Perfect Holiday Shopping List...

October 27, 2025

GrannyCart Giggle Hour hosts a Spooktacularly Sexy Halloween...

October 27, 2025

Inside Ligaw: The New Lower East Side Bar...

October 27, 2025

Celebrating Storytellers: The Dramatists Guild Foundation Gala

October 26, 2025

She Rocks: Women Redefining Power and Purpose in...

October 26, 2025

Andy Cohen Toasts a Decade of Radio with...

October 26, 2025

Sulfur Bottom: A Haunting Exploration of Pollution, Poverty,...

October 26, 2025

Dom Pérignon Unveils the Murakami Flower Studio in...

October 25, 2025

Brooklyn Gets a Glow-Up with Desolas Mezcal’s Reposado...

October 24, 2025

Emerald Dreams: Celebrating Wicked in New York

October 24, 2025

Digital Cover No. 19

The Knockturnal Merch

Follow Us On The Gram

theknockturnal

Lifestyle. Music. Entertainment.
Info@theknockturnal.com
New Cover Out Now ⬇️

Step inside the chaotic world of The Chair Company Step inside the chaotic world of The Chair Company, where office life meets absurd comedy. 🪑 
Stream it now on @HBO. 

🔗: https://theknockturnal.com/la-premiere-hbos-the-chair-company/

✍️: Katherine Wright
-
#TheChairCompany #HBO #HBOOriginal #HBOShow #BingeWorthy #MustWatch #StreamingNow
@justinbieber led @skylrk to a standout win at The @justinbieber led @skylrk to a standout win at The Leag, one of LA’s most talked-about underground sports events. With celebrities, athletes, and creators filling the sidelines, the night captured the energy of competition and culture colliding under the lights. 🏀

🔗: https://theknockturnal.com/justin-bieber-leads-skylrk-to-victory-at-las-underground-sports-phenomenon-the-league/

✍️: Parris Rose

-
#JustinBieber #SKYLRK #TheLeag #LosAngeles #SportsCulture #Basketball #UndergroundSports
@nmixx_official spoke with The Knockturnal about t @nmixx_official spoke with The Knockturnal about their journey as six members, a long, inspiring adventure that’s led them to a major milestone: their first-ever full-length album, Blue Valentine. 💙

The project dives deep into the complexity of human emotions, wrapped in NMIXX’s signature MIXX-pop sound. 🎶

“The story of NMIXX is still unfolding.” 

Full Article 🔗 https://theknockturnal.com/nmixx-blue-valentine/

By @EmmaSalehi 

#NMIXX #BlueValentine #NMIXXBlueValentine #MIXXPOP #NMIXXComeback #KpopInterview #TheKnockturnal #Kpop #KpopNews #KpopGirlGroup #NMIXX_BlueValentine #HAEWON #LILY #BAE #JIWOO #KYUJIN #SULLYOON #엔믹스
Want to immerse yourself in the wonderful world of Want to immerse yourself in the wonderful world of @beetlejuicebway? Now you can! From now until Halloween, @tempotimessquare hosting an unforgettable Beetlejuice Suite experience where every corner is bursting with spooky charm, strange surprises, and a whole lot of Netherworld flair. 💀✨ 

Whether you’re a die-hard fan or just a little strange and unusual, this is your chance to step into the world of the ghost with the most. 👻 #BeetlejuiceBroadway #TempoTimesSquare #BeetlejuiceSuite
#ParkChanWook new film might make you laugh when y #ParkChanWook new film might make you laugh when you least expect it — and flinch when you do. 👀💥

Full review out now.

🔗: https://theknockturnal.com/park-chan-wooks-no-other-choice-is-dark-gripping-and-bitingly-funny/

✍️: Ishan Wankavala 

-
#NoOtherChoice #KoreanCinema #Cinephile #FilmReview #NewRelease #MustWatch
📸 WOODZ (@woodz_dnwm) — the artist redefining 📸 WOODZ (@woodz_dnwm) — the artist redefining boundaries with each track, image, and evolution. Dive into our exclusive to uncover the artistry behind the name. 

🔗: https://theknockturnal.com/woodz/

✍️: Emma Salehi

-
#Woodz #Kpop #ArtistSpotlight #Editorial
EXCLUSIVE: STAYC take the Stay Tuned tour to elect EXCLUSIVE: STAYC take the Stay Tuned tour to electrifying new heights, bringing “I WANT IT” to life with unmatched energy, confidence, and flair. Every beat, every move, every note is a reminder that STAYC don’t just perform—they command the stage. 🌈💥

From their glowing visuals to powerhouse vocals, @stayc_highup deliver a night that’s equal parts spectacle and soul.

🔗: https://theknockturnal.com/stayc/

✍️: Emma Salehi

-
#STAYC #StayTunedTour #IWANTIT #STAYCgirls #STAYChighup #Kpop #ConcertHighlights #ExclusiveFeature
Park Chan-wook shares how The Ax inspired his new Park Chan-wook shares how The Ax inspired his new film, exploring its unique darkness. 🌟

#ParkChanWook #NoOtherChoice #TheAx #KoreanFilm #KDrama #NYFF #NYFF26
Big sci-fi dreams ahead 🔥🤖Park Chan-wook tea Big sci-fi dreams ahead 🔥🤖Park Chan-wook teases his probable upcoming project Genocidal Organ! 

#ParkChanWook #GenocidalOrgan #NYFF #NYFF26
Dark humor and deep tragedy with @byunghun0712 in Dark humor and deep tragedy with @byunghun0712 in his latest film @nootherchoicefilm. 🖤🎬

#LeeByungHun #NoOtherChoice #KDrama #NYFF #NYFF26
Two worlds, one screen 🌏🎥 Lee Byung-hun refl Two worlds, one screen 🌏🎥 Lee Byung-hun reflects on 20 years of film, from South Korea to Hollywood! 

#LeeByungHun #Hollywood #KoreanCinema #Film #NoOtherChoice #NYFF26 #NYFF
Brighter days ahead 🌞 @cix.official share what Brighter days ahead 🌞 @cix.official share what it means to move forward together in their latest comeback. 

🔗: https://theknockturnal.com/cix/

✍️: Emma Salehi

Photo Credits: C9 Entertainment 
-
#CIX #GOChapter1 #GOTogether #TheKnockturnal #KpopInterview #KpopNews #CIXComeback #CIX2025 #KpopFeature #CIXFans
It’s going down! @stayc_highup is in North Ameri It’s going down! @stayc_highup is in North America on their ‘Stay Tuned’ tour! 💖

Watch their energetic and fun filled show near you 👀🌟

#stayc #kpop #kpopconcert #iwantit #staycstaytuned #staytuned
Who runs the world? Girls! 🩷 We had the most a Who runs the world? Girls! 🩷

We had the most amazing day of inspiring panels, activations and networking at @femalefounderworld, with @eyebuydirect! 👓
Eskil Vogt reunites with longtime collaborator Joa Eskil Vogt reunites with longtime collaborator Joachim Trier for their sixth cinematic journey, co-writing Sentimental Value, a poignant exploration of family, memory, and reconciliation. 

-
#Screenwriting #Storytelling #WritingForFilm #FilmWriting #NYFF2025 #NewYorkFilmFestival #IndieFilm
At @thenyff , @renatereinsve brings Nora Borg to l At @thenyff , @renatereinsve brings Nora Borg to life in Sentimental Value, portraying a character whose journey through family complexities and personal discovery resonates deeply. 

-
#RenateReinsve #NYFF #SentimentalValue #NoraBorg #FilmFestival #Actress
@nobledanceroslo at @thenyff shares his vision as @nobledanceroslo at @thenyff shares his vision as a director, bringing his story to life with precision, collaboration, and attention to every frame. 

The film reflects his dedication to emotion, storytelling, and cinematic craft. 🎥

-
#JoachimTrimmer #NYFF #NewYorkFilmFestival #FilmFestival #Director #Filmmaking
We spoke with @ingalilleaas at @thenyff about the We spoke with @ingalilleaas at @thenyff about the emotional process behind her latest film. ✨

-
#IngaIbsdotterLilleaas #NYFF #NewYorkFilmFestival #FilmFestival #Cinema
Poised, perceptive, and endlessly compelling — @ Poised, perceptive, and endlessly compelling — @ellefanning in conversation at this year’s @thenyff.

-
#ElleFanning #NYFF #NewYorkFilmFestival #FilmFestival #RedCarpet #Cinema
✨ From powerful panels to unforgettable performa ✨ From powerful panels to unforgettable performances, the 2025 #TeenVogueSummit brought together voices shaping fashion, culture, and activism today. 💬🎶

🔗: https://theknockturnal.com/2025-teen-vogue-summit-recap-full-of-fun-fashion-and-connection/

✍️: Zipporah Pruitt

-
#TeenVogue #TeenVogueSummit2025 #TeenVogueEvents
#TeenVogueCommunity #TeenVogueStyle
Follow on Instagram

About The Site

We are a collective of creative tastemakers made up of fashion, music and entertainment industry insiders. It’s all about access. You want it. We have it.

Terms Of Use

Privacy Policy

Meet The Team

CONTACT US

For general inquiries and more info on The Knockturnal, please contact our staff at:
info@theknockturnal.com
fashion@theknockturnal.com
advertising@theknockturnal.com
editorial@theknockturnal.com
beauty@theknockturnal.com

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin
  • Youtube

© Copyright - The Knockturnal | Developed by CI Design + Media

The Knockturnal
  • Home
  • Entertainment
  • Music
  • Lifestyle
  • News
  • Videos
  • Covers
  • Merch