FJORD
Starring: Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve, Lisa Carlehed, Ellen Dorrit Petersen, Lisa Loven Kongsli, Henrikke Lund Olsen, and Vanessa Ceban
Director: Cristian Mungiu
ADRIANO
Approaching the perception of migrant exclusion and secularism from the perspective of an extremely Catholic conservative family’s persecution is not gonna jive with everyone. But in Fjord, writer/director Cristian Mungiu takes his trademark cold approach to craft something captivating despite the film's slow pacing. It can often feel challenging for the sake of being challenging, but it’s clearly all in service of questions that Mungiu demands the audience asks. With Renate Reinsve and Sebastian Stan giving incredible yet understated performances (making up for some stilted child performances), this is a film that will stay with you.
BODE
What do you see in a Rorschach test of a movie like Fjord? Do you see a conservative-leaning project about progressive hypocrisy? Or a liberal-leaning project that satirizes right-wing ignorance? For me, it’s…complicated. Intentionally so. Writer-director Cristian Mungiu’s latest venture puts his quietly observational approach to the knottiest ends, and it thrives in that for the most part. The skill Mungiu displays behind the camera (with expertly crafted long takes), as well as stars Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve’s nuanced performances, ensures that the tension builds slowly but surely - right down to its final frame. Love it or hate it, you certainly won’t forget it.
NICK
Fjord reminded me a lot of Anatomy of a Fall. Yes, there’s the courtroom aspect, but the way it builds its case without ever letting the audience in on things ahead of the characters really worked. Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve both give restrained performances as parents under fire, but it’s the way the film makes you think that is really its strongest aspect. It challenges your views on everything from religion to cultural allowances all while enhancing the grey area between right and wrong. A challenging watch to be sure, but a well made one.
This film was reviewed by Bode, Nick, and Adriano as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival.