Kendall (Jeremy Strong) and Roman (Kieran Culkin) Roy sit next to each other in season one of 'Succession'
Receiving nine nominations at the 98th Academy Awards, Sentimental Value has been a fan-favorite film of 2025. Nominations include Best International Feature Film and four acting nominations for the four in the core cast.
The Norwegian film follows the troubled relationships within the Borg family. After divorcing from their mother, film director Gustav Borg leaves to focus on his career in Sweden. He leaves behind his two daughters, Nora and Agnes . The film really starts when their mother passes, and the family has a forced and uncomfortable reunion. For the rest of the film, the daughters and their father awkwardly try to understand what their relationship looks like now. The film covers topics of grief, depression, and a dysfunctional family. It also takes place in the picturesque Norwegian capital, Oslo. Thankfully, if you loved this movie and want more films like Joachim Trier’s, there are plenty of television shows that tackle the same themes. 7 ‘Shrinking’ If your favorite aspect of Sentimental Value was the mental health aspect of it all or Gustav’s grief for his own mother, Shrinking is a great alternative. It’s certainly lighter in tone than the foreign film, but the Apple TV+ series has its moments of heartbreak and gutwrenching grief. Returning for its third season in January 2026, Shrinking was created by Bill Lawrence, Jason Segel, and Brett Goldstein. Segel stars as a widower who’s lost his wife in a tragic car accident and spirals out of control despite having a daughter to care for. After he steps outside of that spiral, he returns to trying to mend his relationships, and as a therapist, he decides to treat his patients in unconventional ways. Joining Segel are the splendid Harrison Ford and Jessica Williams. Williams plays Segel’s friend, but through her friendship with his wife, and Ford plays his boss and mentor. The unique character dynamics will remind you enough of Sentimental Value to entice you, but it differs completely otherwise. 6 ‘Parenthood’ Running in the first half of the 2010s, Parenthood captured the ups and downs of a large, multigenerational family, including sibling dynamics, parenting, and everything in between. Thanks to the large ensemble cast, viewers could see a range of interactions and a realistic portrayal of personality types. You had characters like the overachieving oldest sibling, Adam , but also the free-spirited Amber . And all of them were going through their own trials and tribulations, yet they were able to rely on one another. Perhaps the best aspect of Parenthood is the writers’ ability not to sugarcoat anything about family. Families can be messy and over-the-top, but also heartwarming and all of a sudden heartbreaking. Maintaining healthy relationships takes hard work, as the series clearly shows. Essentially, the series offers a heartfelt examination of what it means to be a family, highlighting both the challenges and rewards of family life. 5 ‘Home for Christmas’ If your favorite part of Sentimental Value was the setting, Home for Christmas is a lovely and cozy Norwegian romance-comedy series. Taking place during Christmas in Norway, and is laugh-out-loud funny but also a poignant portrayal of a woman’s journey to combat her loneliness. The first season’s premise is a typical over-the-top one: Johanne has 24 days to bring a boyfriend home for Christmas after lying to her family about having one. Two seasons aired back-to-back on Netflix in 2019 and 2020, and then returned for a third and final season in 2025. It has a great share of cheesy Christmas moments, but with the realities of adulthood and real life. It never leans too heavily on saccharine, making the watch easy and fun for viewers. The charming characters navigate relatable challenges, from family expectations to personal growth, making each episode hilarious and heartwarming at the same time. 4 ‘Succession’ If you wanted to watch a TV show about complicated family dynamics, there’s no show that does it quite like HBO’s Succession. The dark dramedy’s version of Gustav Borg is Logan Roy . He’s the leader of a media conglomerate, and as his health worsens, his family begins to compete for the role of his successor. In addition to having a morally gray father, you also get the complicated relationships between siblings. Not quite as loving as Nora and Agnes, but still interesting to watch. As with the Norwegian film, it also received widespread critical acclaim. Succession received 19 Emmy wins and 75 nominations. The HBO series ran for four seasons and highlighted real-world issues around wealth, the corporate world, and the role of morality in business. Overall, it’s an impactful depiction of ambition and the lengths one will go to in pursuit of success, all wrapped in the guise of a family drama that feels both relatable and alarmingly intense. 3 ‘Better Things’ If you want to dive deeper into the chaotic dynamics of various families, Better Things does a great job of capturing the love, frustration, and confusion that exist in every family. Inspired by Pamela Adlon’s own life, she offers a compelling perspective on motherhood through sharp, heartfelt storytelling. It also features a talented ensemble cast, including the talented Mikey Madison, who recently took home an Oscar for her role in Anora, alongside Celia Imrie and Diedrich Bader. Adlon’s approach is bold and direct, creating both memorable major scenes and the everyday interactions that define family life. It’s often the subtle exchanges, like playful banter in the living room or cozy moments spent on the floor, that enrich the narrative, capturing the essence of a real family. This blend of humor and vulnerability creates a powerful atmosphere throughout the series. 2 ‘Fleabag’ Fleabag is a masterpiece created by the masterful mind of Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Grief and complicated family dynamics are woven throughout this series. The Amazon Plus dramedy follows Fleabag, played by Waller-Bridge, a sharp-witted and unapologetically blunt woman navigating life in London. She recently lost her best friend and is already mourning her mother. In contrast to her struggles, her sister enjoys immense success, while her father has started a romantic relationship with Fleabag’s godmother. This leaves her feeling like she doesn’t have her own space in her family or in her life. Subscribe for curated TV and film picks like Sentimental Value Get the newsletter for thoughtful context and recommendations on films and TV exploring grief, family dynamics, and character-driven storytelling — perfect if Sentimental Value left you wanting more nuanced dramas and dark comedies. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. One of the best aspects of the series is Fleabag's ability to break the fourth wall, engaging directly with the audience and revealing her innermost thoughts. This creates an interesting dynamic with the audience and the connection, allowing us to feel we have a true understanding of her emotional intricacies. Beyond that, we get a fresh take on British comedy from a voice that cuts through much of the noise that typically fills sitcoms. 1 ‘Shameless’ The American adaptation of Shameless is as chaotic as one can get. The Gallagher family’s story ran for a decade, and not a single moment was ever calm within the show. The second viewers thought they could catch their breath, another random happening shifted the entire episode's premise. The series was set in Chicago, and, as in Sentimental Value, the family has a problematic, negligent, and alcoholic father, Frank . Of course, Frank is on another level, but there are still similarities. It also shows the children's resilience, despite their family's situation, especially the eldest, Fiona . To understand resilience, they must be able to handle their responsibilities amidst the constant turmoil they live in. Best of all, the series explores plenty of complex and mature themes, and they are expertly handled through a lens of sharp wit and humor. Shameless Like Follow Followed Comedy Drama Release Date 2011 - 2021-00-00 Network Channel 4 Showrunner John Wells Directors John Wells Writers Paul Abbott Cast See All A scrappy, feisty, fiercely loyal Chicago family makes no apologies.
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