'The Girl with the Needle' review: Haunting, well-acted, and artistic
24 Jan 2025

The Danish film The Girl with the Needle, nominated for an Oscar in the Best International Feature Film category, is a haunting, evocative piece of art.

Visually arresting, well-acted, and extremely well-made, it is the kind of film that clings to you and refuses to let go.

Admittedly, it's a difficult watch because of its heartbreaking storyline but also offers a unique, visceral experience.

Follows Karoline and her experience with a mysterious woman
Story

Directed by Magnus von Horn, the monochrome film is based on the unbelievably true story of Dagmar Overbye.

It follows Karoline (Vic Carmen Sonne), who gives up her baby for adoption to a woman named Dagmar (Trine Dyrholm), and eventually, starts working for her.

However, she soon realizes that Dagmar is not who she seems, and decides to uncover the truth.

Will she succeed?

Should you read about the real case first?
#1

I suggest you watch it without reading about the real case, to be fully awed by the narrative.

This is a purposely gloomy film with a protagonist whose life has been a series of heartbreaks, and we know this from the first moment we meet her.

Our heart beats for Karoline throughout, and the film achieves this without excessive melodrama or manipulative background music.

Each frame is a labor of love
#2

The film finds much of its strength from the striking cinematography, and almost every frame might as well be a painting.

It recreates the era gone by quite effortlessly, and we are transported to 1919, where we meet Karoline.

The film has no trouble winding the clocks, and with its haunting music and poignant imagery, it's a near-perfect psychological horror.

You naturally grow fond of the protagonist
#3

Karoline struggles almost throughout the film, and the strong writing probes how the condition of marginalized women is the same everywhere.

"I live here," she tells her landlord initially.

"But you don't pay," he retorts.

Her face falls.

This scene, and several like this, teem with palpable, searing tension, and in such moments, the film achieves within minutes what several movies cannot in hours.

What does 'horror' really mean?
#4

Like most superlative films of this genre, The Girl with the Needle roars when it shows that the real horror—more spine-chilling than any vampires, ghosts, or werewolves—is the one that breeds around us.

It explores how humans are gradually, inexplicably, and irrevocably turned into monsters, and it does so with an audacious, confident approach that surprises you at every turn.

Gives you a lot to chew on
#5

With its layered narrative, The Girl with the Needle touches upon several themes at once—the exploitation of impoverished women, the ravages of war, and the complexity of motherhood.

Most of all, it is concerned with how every act of a woman is gauged and harshly judged by society, and how the tragic desperation of the working class can push them beyond limits.

Areas that don't completely hit the mark
#6

The film meanders a bit after the first-hour mark, becomes excessively slow, and could have done with some more meat.

I would have also liked to see more of the supporting characters, like Karoline's husband Peter, her boss Jørgen, and her friend Frida.

All of them are central to the story but don't receive a lot of screen time.

Don't miss it; 3.5/5 stars
Verdict

The Girl with the Needle's storyline is such that it will challenge you, but the film cuts deep with its themes.

It's one of the films that leave you in a reflective, pondering state once the credits begin rolling, prompting you to dig deeper into the horrifying true story.

Watch it on MUBI for its writing, consistent performances, and unforgettable cinematography.

3.5/5 stars.