Film Review: FJORD: A Powerful Examination of Family Values with Great Performances [NYFF 2026]

Fjord Review

Fjord (2026) Film Review from the 64th Annual New York Film Festival, a movie written and directed by Cristian Mungiu and starring Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve, Lisa Carlehed, Ellen Dorrit Petersen, Lisa Loven Kongsli, Christian Rubeck, Vanessa Ceban, Markus Scarth Tønseth, Hallgjerd Byrkjeland, Anne Kokkinn, Adrian Titieni and Henrikke Lund-Olsen.

Fjord, directed by Cristian Mungiu, examines a family’s unexpected turmoil as their key values are reviewed by the court. When five children are unexpectedly taken away from their parents by social services, the premise of Fjord begins to unfold. This is a film that puts everything we’ve come to know about family values under a microscope in order to see where the truth lies regarding what is deemed acceptable parental behavior.

This film is led by two performances that are daring and unafraid to take big risks. Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve star in the picture as the parents in question, Mihai and Lisbet Gheorghiu. These are two fine performers and they elevate Fjord into something much bigger than it might have been in lesser hands.

Set in Norway, we examine the Romanian Gheorghiu family at the center of the film’s lifestyles as both parents work as their children (including a new baby) are looked after by the neighbor, Mia (Lisa Carlehed), who is married to Mats (Markus Scarth Tønseth). This couple’s daughter, Noora (phenomenally played by Henrikke Lund-Olsen), befriends the young Elia Gheorghiu (the superb Vanessa Ceban). As scenes slowly build, we see the way that Mihai becomes immersed in his new administrative job as he discovers scenarios that help mark his transition into the new type of society he finds himself living in.

We also see the transition of the children to their new village. There are some uneasy welcomes for the Gheorghiu kids. Noora threatens to slice her wrists and cuts close as a ploy for attention right at the film’s outset. Still, Elia and Noora forge a strong bond as the film progresses that becomes unbreakable.

This film’s plot kicks in when there are bruises discovered that could point to abuse by the heads of the Gheorghiu family household. The Gheorghius are forced to get a lawyer (a terrific Anne Kokkinn), who eventually finds that Mihai’s stubbornness stands in the way of her doing her job properly. In the interim, the Gheorghiu children are forced to go live with foster parents until the truth regarding the possible abuse is discovered. 

When the lawyer quits, Lisbet hires the neighbor, Mia, who is more than capable of bringing up the points why the Gheorghius aren’t necessarily in the wrong with their parenting skills, despite the comments of the opposing lawyer in the case, Jacobsen (a masterful turn by Christian Rubeck). Fjord plays out in a way that is both compelling and absorbing for the viewer to behold.

Cristian Mungiu is a gifted filmmaker who manages to probe the situation at the movie’s core, which turns the picture into something of a character study. Sebastian Stan is the glue that holds the film together as the father who is thrown for a loop by the unexpected turn of events that transpire in his new town. Mihai is easy to relate to and he has a lot of nervousness surrounding the events that are taking place. Lisbet is played to perfection by the always reliable Reinsve. Lisbet gets some scenes looking at deceased bodies, which help show the nature of her personal and professional situation and the discomfort she feels about it all.

One scene involves an older family member (on Mia and Mats’ side), Åke (played well by Norwegian actor Øyvind Venstad Kjeksrud), falling over into deep waters as a couple of our main characters try to save him. This film explores the many things about family which make it so challenging. From managing the younger children to dealing with aging family members, the movie runs the gamut of haunting scenarios that ring true.

Fjord is at its best when it proposes the idea that several key parenting techniques could be deemed inappropriate, but, surprisingly, the movie juxtaposes those ideas with traditional family values as it challenges the viewer to find a distinct moral compass in order to see if the Gheorghiu family is operating in a way in which they are deserving of raising their own kids. Isn’t their own personal business related to raising their kids their own private matter anyway?

There is one truly standout supporting performance in Fjord, and it is that of Lisa Carlehed. When Mia puts a social services representative with no children on the stand to question for the case, Mia’s expert techniques as a lawyer display themselves on-screen. Carlehed is more than up to the task of captivating audiences with a finely rendered turn and she all but steals the film with considerably minimal screen time.

Fjord is certainly heading to an ambiguous conclusion, but there’s only one way it could truly end. Of course, it won’t necessarily be a happy conclusion for all, but it is an effective one. Suffering through an avalanche of difficult situations, the Gheorghius are humanly portrayed as flawed people just trying to get by in a world where everybody is unfairly put under a microscope for situations that are sometimes not even designated to be judged by others at all. This is a thought-inspiring movie that could find itself in the running for Oscar nominations for its stellar script and hard-working cast members.

Rating: 8.5/10

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