Sentimental Value

Gustav uses the divorce as a lever to step away from Norway and focus on his directing career. Sissel raises Nora and Agnes in the Oslo home that Gustav's family has owned for generations.

In adulthood, Agnes works as a historian and Nora becomes a rising actress, though she suffers from crippling stage fright. Nora also has an affair with her married colleague Jakob.

Sissel's death forces Gustav to return to Norway and attempt to reclaim the family house. The daughters grow to resent his long absences and drinking, though Agnes remains more sympathetic.

Gustav tries to reconcile with his daughters, but their conversations are frequently derailed by his microaggressions and lack of emotional intelligence. He also forms a tentative connection with Agnes' young son Erik through shared love of movies.

Gustav's career stalls and he struggles to secure financing for a new project. His latest script is inspired by his mother Karin, who was tortured during the Nazi occupation and committed suicide in the family home when Gustav was seven. He proposes filming the movie in the actual home and recreating Karin's suicide in the climactic scene.

To replace Nora, Gustav hires American actress Rachel Kemp who is a global star for Netflix backing. Nora refuses to read the script to play the role inspired by her grandmother, feeling uncomfortable with the plan.

Rachel Kemp cannot speak Norwegian, which forces Gustav to translate the script into English for her. Nora is unsettled by how Gustav treats Rachel with more empathy than his own daughters and by the growing distance between them.

Jakob divorces his wife but refuses to commit to Nora. Gustav infuriates Nora by suggesting that her internal rage prevents her from finding love.

Agnes clashes with Gustav after he casts her son in the film without her permission. She is reminded of Gustav's attempts to connect with her through work, and notes the movie cannot compensate for his absence in their lives.

Rachel realizes the role is not right for her and quits to restore Gustav's creative freedom. That evening, Gustav goes outside, drunkenly flips off the house and collapses, ending up hospitalized.

To understand her father better, Agnes visits the National Archives to read her grandmother Karin's post-war torture statement. She also reads Gustav's script and realizes that the film's emotional arc mirrors Gustav's regrets about his relationship with Nora, with the climactic scene echoing Nora's past suicide attempt.

Moved by the revelations of generational trauma and Gustav's regrets, Nora agrees to join the film. Her decision signals a possible reconciliation and a new partnership with her father.

Gustav finds the money to complete the film without Rachel. The production shifts to a modern setting on a sound stage, moving away from the real house. Nora performs the climactic scene with Erik playing her son, and after the final take she exchanges an understanding look with her father.