Neon has unveiled the first trailer for Fjord, the acclaimed new drama from filmmaker Cristian Mungiu starring Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve. The film took home the prestigious Palme d’Or at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival and is already attracting significant awards-season attention.
Stan and Reinsve play a married couple whose family life is thrown into turmoil after they relocate with their five children to a remote coastal community in Norway. Their new surroundings initially offer the promise of a fresh start, but tensions quickly escalate when concerns are raised about the way they discipline their children.
In the film, Stan portrays Mihai, a devout Romanian man who has moved to Norway with his Norwegian wife, Lisbet, played by Reinsve. Their deeply held religious beliefs and strict approach to parenting soon attract attention from those around them.
The situation takes a dramatic turn when unexplained injuries are discovered on one of the children. Allegations of abuse are subsequently raised, bringing the family under investigation and placing them at the centre of a growing legal and social conflict.
Rather than presenting a straightforward courtroom drama, Fjord appears to explore the complicated questions surrounding parental rights, cultural differences, religious beliefs and the responsibility of authorities to protect children. The trailer suggests that the truth may not be as simple as either side initially believes.
Mungiu, who previously won the Palme d’Or for 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, uses the story to examine the uneasy relationship between personal values and the expectations of the society around them. The filmmaker has also indicated that the movie draws inspiration from real child welfare cases in Norway.
The movie also gives Stan the opportunity to undergo another striking transformation. The actor appears almost unrecognisable as Mihai, sporting a shaved head and glasses as he takes on the role of a middle-aged father whose beliefs and family are increasingly placed under scrutiny.
Fjord reunites Stan and Reinsve following their collaboration in the 2024 psychological drama A Different Man. The supporting cast includes Lisa Carlehed, Ellen Dorrit Petersen, Lisa Loven Kongsli, Henrikke Lund-Olsen and Vanessa Ceban.
The film premiered in competition at Cannes in May, where it ultimately claimed the festival’s highest honour, the Palme d’Or. Its Cannes victory has further heightened expectations surrounding the movie ahead of its theatrical release.
Fjord is written and directed by Cristian Mungiu and will be released in cinemas on October 9, 2026.
