Fjord follows a Romanian-Norwegian conservative couple facing scrutiny after moving to the wife’s progressive remote Norwegian hometown. It is inspired by the true story of the Bodnariu family (renamed Gheorghiu in the film), whose children were forcefully taken from them by the authorities in Norway. Those who have family who emigrated to a place they have never been to will definitely connect with this film. Or for those who have ever felt out of place in a world where cultural norms vary.
Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve killed it in Fjord. Without a doubt, everyone, from the adults to the children, to the children in this film understood the assignment. Stan and Reinsve commanded a riveting performance in this heavily Christian-centric family. The ambiguity of right and wrong parenting became muddier and muddier for their characters, leaving certain situations up to the audience’s interpretations. With the spotlight on Mihai and Lisbet, Stan and Reinsve stepped up to the challenge to sell this controversial couple’s ideologies that arguably have some good merit.
The standout performance for me from Fjord was Henrikke Lund-Olsen as Noora. The way she commanded the screen was like she was a seasoned actress. I noticed she has not been in much, but she could have fooled me. She nailed all her dry humour comedic bits, adding some levity to this dark drama—with a hint of comedy mixed in. The great part was that we saw Lund-Olsen provide emotional range in her acting role in this film too. I could see her being a rising star in the future of Norweigan, and maybe Hollywood, cinema.
The weakest acting came from Christian Rubeck’s Attorney Jacobsen, from the opposing council who is trying to incriminate the Gheorghiu family parents. Perfect casting and sometimes good at being a annoying stickler lawyer trying to rile up Mihai and Lisbet. But in other times, it sounded so corny. Maybe I am being harsh since it seemed like English was his second language, so the tone was off at times. However, that meant that production or a language coach cleared it though.
The themes had a simple throughline of conservative versus progressive norms, particularly focused on parenting. The scrutiny the Gheorghiu family faced made sense for modern times, albeit one that has been up for debate for multiple generations now. Without giving too much away, it is related along the lines of how society and its laws deems what is normal for the majority of its people.
The hot topic debates can also cross over with how immigration integration kind of sucks if the country people emigrate to do not explain certain rules to new citizens or foreigners hoping to secure residence in a new country. Yes, immigrants should be aware of the general laws for the new country they are hoping to stay in, but there is only so many rules one can remember. As I am heated about this, it is clear Mungiu accomplished his task of creating a film for audiences to argue both sides of the coin.
“The ultimate goal of Fjord is to stir debates among audiences; it is that simple.”
The main problem Fjord suffered from was its pacing in almost every aspect. I found it slower than I would have liked once the film shifts from a straightforward drama into a procedural thriller. The best way I could describe this film was that it was a bit of a mashup between Sentimental Value and Anatomy of a Fall, but with a heavier emphasis on the slow-moving parts of Sentimental Value.
Building on the pacing issue, the film did not have a prominent score to match all the boiling tension. Sometimes silence works to create uneasy tension, but in Fjord, it did not work in most of the court scenes. Potentially, Mungiu wanted almost everything to feel and sound real—as there would not be tense music playing while a real court case was happening.
The ultimate goal of Fjord is to stir debates among audiences; it is that simple. While it may not have the same effects or conversations as Obsession’s audiences had walking out of that film back at TIFF 2025 and its public release, this movie offers a similar schematic for TIFF 2026. However, Fjord was missing the punch that all of the other movies mentioned in this review had on their own. While I found a lot of aspects really well done, the failure to build good tension was its downfall. Still, I implore everyone who wants to see some strong acting and captivating outdoor shots to give this one a solid watch.
