In a year abundant with cinematic excellence, only a few award contenders shine rightfully bright with enduring momentum as Sentimental Value. Director Joachim Trier developed a tender family drama from Norway into a 2025 Oscar contender, securing the audience's heart and critical acclaim through its powerful emotional storytelling and sophisticated plot development. Opening the eyes of the industry voters and critics alike, the film has managed to roar in silence.

With its emotional depth as well as narrative elegance, the film has enthralled the globe, bagging nine Academy Award nominations and already becoming a festival circuit favorite.

The film established its awards track record at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival through its monumental victory of the Grand Prix, which received a 19-minute standing ovation that became one of the longest tributes at the festival. It received critical acclaim through multiple reviews with a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, paving the way for strong aggregate scores showing appreciation for its masterclass in storytelling. However, besides critical acclaim and prestige, several other factors chimed in for Sentimental Value's success -

Strategic Release: Distributor Neon positioned Sentimental Value for a November release, a critical awards-season window that mirrors successful strategies used for films like Parasite and Anora. Neon marketed the movie as an arthouse crowd-pleaser as it effortlessly crossed the threshold of a niche drama owing to the narrative's emotional clarity.

Awards-circuit Campaigning: The film gained recognition through its presence at fall festivals and screenings, which increased its visibility to the critics and the Academy offshoots, making it a strong contender for Best Picture and other major awards at the 98th Academy Awards. The movie has accumulated a total of 214 nominations across all awards with 71 wins so far.

Resonant Themes & Performance Momentum: Central to its success are the film's fundamental themes about fractured family relationships, nuanced views on breakdowns, artistic inheritance, and intergenerational trauma, which resonated with viewers. The phenomenal performances of Stellan Skarsgård and Renate Reinsve, as well as Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, have become award favorites.

International Appeal: Though a foreign tale, Sentimental Value became Norway's auspicious entry for Best International Feature, crossing cultural and geographical boundaries with its universal appeal that tugs at every human's heartstrings. A legend in its own right, the movie proved how international films can achieve major recognition at Hollywood's biggest night of cinematic celebrations. 

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Critical commentaries on the movie might sound appealing enough to go watch the movie, because a rare gem like Sentimental Value seldom drops on the big screen.

Sentimental Value, which premiered at Cannes 2025, has been available for streaming on MUBI since February 13, 2026, in various parts of the world such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Latin America, Turkey, and India. In the US, the film is readily available for purchase or on rent via Amazon Prime Video, Fandango At Home, Google Play, YouTube Movies, and Apple TV.

Neon might drop the film on Hulu or Disney+; however, there is no confirmation as of now. Despite the distribution company's recent failure to secure Oscar nods, Golden Globe winner Stellan Skarsgård has already been recognized as a frontrunner in supporting categories at the 98th Academy Awards.

"It is one of the best roles I’ve gotten in my life, but not on paper. It’s with Joachim [Trier] directing it. He is interested in whatever nonverbal reaction you have between the lines. That is the acting I like, that kind of attention to the details of the psychological narrative that is not the normal film narrative," Skarsgård told the LA Times on his cherished role in the movie.

With its authentic portrayal of the deepest ridges of human emotions, the film proved how stellar cross-cultural cinema can ascend from a low-budget independent art film to a festival favorite to a sleeper hit at the Academy Awards.

A Kiss, a Comeback, a Cannes Triumph: ‘Sentimental Value’ Earns 19-Minute Ovation

Have you watched Sentimental Value yet? Let us know in the comments.