Sentimental Value (Dir. Joachim Trier), Erin Trought
Joachim Trier’s third collaboration with actress Renate Reinsve is a deep dive into the silent weight of generational trauma. Sentimental Value follows Nora (Reinsve) and her younger sister Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) as they come to terms with their mother’s death, and an unexpected reconciliation with their estranged father and filmmaker, Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård). The film is mesmerising, captivating viewers with its acting, pacing, and the raw and authentic portrayal of familial conflict. You relate to the sisters but also understand Gustav’s way of thinking. I left the Irish Film Institute feeling reborn, full of thoughts I struggled to keep quiet.
Stranger Things Season 5 (the Duffer Brothers), Jules Nati
Stranger Things 5 has divided the popular jury. Some did not like it, some cried for days after finishing it. All in all, it marks the end of an era. When we first watched season one we were generally the same age as the characters, equally scared of monsters under the bed. We have grown up with them and are now just as scared of our futures as they are in season five. The finale of Stranger Things is not an epic, gory finale, instead, it is a farewell to lifelong fans and good riddance to others.
Marty Supreme (Dir. Josh Safdie), Emma Milanesi
I feel relatively confident saying that the number of table-tennis enthusiasts is not a particularly large demographic, and, despite everything, this is not really a film about sport. This is a film about desperation, power and control, about the moment where passion mutates into horrific imperatives, about Marty in the 1950s dreaming of becoming a champion. The narrative builds and builds into an all-encompassing exhilarating anxiety, oppressing before finally relieving in its climax. Pacing and visuals are unrelentingly fast, and performances are absolutely captivating. Dragged and absorbed, be ready for a brutal but absolutely invaluable experience.
