Norwegian film Sentimental Value has become one of the biggest cultural talking points in the country after receiving an extraordinary nine Academy Award nominations.
The film is now competing in some of the Oscars’ most prestigious categories, placing a deeply Norwegian story firmly in the global spotlight.
For many people in Norway, the attention is less about awards night glamour and more about what this moment represents for Norwegian cinema. Here’s what to know about the film making headlines around the world.
1. A Rare Oscar Breakthrough for a Norwegian Film
With nine nominations including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Original Screenplay, Sentimental Value has achieved a level of recognition rarely seen for a Norwegian production.
It is competing directly against major international releases and some of the most powerful names in contemporary cinema.
While Norway has had success in the Best International Feature category in the past, it is far less common for a Norwegian-language film to break into the Oscars’ main categories in this way.
The scale of the nominations has turned the film into a national talking point almost overnight.
2. Joachim Trier’s Most International Moment Yet
The film is directed by Joachim Trier, one of Norway’s most internationally respected filmmakers.
The Danish-Norwegian has spent more than a decade building a reputation for intimate, character-driven stories with films such as Reprise, Oslo, August 31st, and The Worst Person in the World.
With Sentimental Value, Trier appears to have reached a new level of global recognition.
Critics have frequently compared the film’s themes and emotional restraint to the work of Ingmar Bergman, particularly in its exploration of family, memory, silence, and unresolved emotional trauma.
3. Renate Reinsve Leads a Standout Cast
The film stars Renate Reinsve as Nora, a successful stage actress navigating grief, professional pressure, and a deeply complicated relationship with her father.
Reinsve’s performance has earned her a Best Actress nomination, following her international breakthrough in The Worst Person in the World.
She is joined by Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas as her younger sister Agnes, whose quieter presence provides a powerful counterpoint to Nora’s emotional distance. Together, the sisters form the emotional core of the film.
4. A Historic Nomination for Stellan Skarsgård
One of the most talked-about nominations is for Stellan Skarsgård, who plays the sisters’ estranged father, Gustav. In the film, Gustav is a once-renowned director whose attempts at reconciliation come through his work rather than emotional openness, a trait that has shaped his fractured relationship with his daughters.
The nomination marks Skarsgård’s first Academy Award nomination and a rare milestone for Scandinavian performers in the Best Supporting Actor category. While he is internationally famous for roles in everything from arthouse cinema to major Hollywood franchises, recognition from the Academy has remained elusive until now.
Speaking after the nominations were announced, Skarsgård described the moment as deeply emotional, sharing the news with his wife and youngest children while at home in Sweden.
He also noted the irony of being nominated for playing an absent father, given his reputation as the patriarch of a large acting family, several of whom have followed him into the profession.
Critics have praised Skarsgård’s performance for its balance of warmth, charm, and emotional clumsiness. Gustav is neither villain nor hero but a flawed, often frustrating figure whose inability to communicate honestly is as tragic as it is recognisable.
That complexity, many reviewers suggest, is central to why the performance has resonated so strongly during awards season.
5. Why an American Star Is Central to the Story
Hollywood actor Elle Fanning plays Rachel Kemp, an American actress cast in the role originally written for Nora after she refuses to participate in her father’s comeback film.
Rachel’s presence introduces an intentional cultural contrast, highlighting differences in language, emotional expression, and artistic tradition.
Several critics have noted how the American character’s openness and enthusiasm clash with the restrained Nordic emotional landscape, creating moments of tension that drive much of the film’s subtle drama.
6. A Story Rooted in Family, Memory, and Art
At its heart, Sentimental Value is a family drama. It explores grief following the death of the sisters’ mother, the emotional fallout of parental absence, and the ways in which artists draw from their personal histories, sometimes at great personal cost.
The family home plays a symbolic role as a repository of memory and unresolved history, while performance, both on stage and on film, becomes a way for characters to avoid or confront their past. Much of the film’s emotional weight lies in what remains unsaid.
7. Critical Praise, With Some Debate
While many critics have hailed Sentimental Value as Joachim Trier’s most mature and accomplished work, not all responses have been unreservedly positive.
Some reviews argue that the film ultimately lets its central father figure off too easily, prioritising artistic reconciliation over moral reckoning.
What is clear is that the film has sparked serious discussion. Whether praised or questioned, it has engaged audiences and critics alike, often a strong indicator of awards-season success.
A Landmark Moment for Norwegian Cinema
Regardless of how many Oscars it ultimately wins, Sentimental Value has already secured its place in Norwegian film history. Its success demonstrates that Norwegian stories, told in Norwegian and grounded in Nordic sensibilities, can resonate on the world’s biggest cinematic stage.
For Norway’s film industry, this moment is about visibility, confidence, and the possibility of more locally rooted stories finding global audiences in the years ahead.
