The Girl With the Needle

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The Girl With the Needle

Released Dec 6, 2024

2h 3m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

92%

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106 Reviews

84%

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100+ Ratings

A standout selection from the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, THE GIRL WITH THE NEEDLE is a dark fairy tale about one woman's search for tenderness and morality in a cruel world. Both eerie and exquisite, writer-director Magnus von Horn's latest film tracks young factory worker Karoline as she struggles to survive in post-WWI Copenhagen. When she ends up unemployed, abandoned and pregnant, the charismatic Dagmar takes her in to help run an underground adoption agency for unwanted children. The two women form an unexpected bond, until a sudden revelation changes everything. Based on a chilling true story, THE GIRL WITH THE NEEDLE presents a masterful gothic vision with profound contemporary resonance. Denmark's Best International Feature Film entry to the 97th Academy Awards® also features EFA-nominated performances from Vic Carmen Sonne and Trine Dyrholm, gorgeous cinematography by EO's Michał Dymek, and a spellbinding score by Frederikke Hoffmeier (Puce Mary).

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Critics Consensus

Threading its grim tale through sumptuous black-and-white photography, The Girl with the Needle is a haunting parable made with superb craft.

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Tara Brady

Irish Times

The ever-reliable Dyrholm is both charismatic and curdling as the grubby matriarch. But most of the film is writ large and affectingly in Sonne’s agonised face.

Rated: 5/5

Feb 28, 2025

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Michael O'Sullivan

Washington Post

Sonne delivers a twitchy performance, lurching from meek withdrawal to rage.

Rated: 3/4

Feb 3, 2025

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Richard Whittaker

Austin Chronicle

Its answers are uneasy and disquieting, and the true root of its horror.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jan 31, 2025

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Elsa Fernández-Santos

El Pais (Spain)

Despite Dymek's exquisite work and a good happy ending, Von Horn's film fails to confront the horror it depicts; rather, on the contrary, it only exalts the cruelty of what happens on screen. [Full review in Spanish]

Mar 21, 2025

Full Review

Sergi Sánchez

Fotogramas

The power of Magnus von Horn's film is measured in the tension between the expressionist photography, in pristine and elaborate black and white, and the boundless sensationalism that runs through its plot...[Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 3/5

Mar 21, 2025

Full Review

Alex Heeney

Seventh Row

The world of The Girl with the Needle is a sinister one, where husbands can disappear in the war without a trace, and you can be thrown out of your home or your job with a moment’s notice...one of the year’s hardest watches and also one of its very best.

Mar 5, 2025

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Melissa

Absolutely brutal and unsparing look at life in poverty in post-WWI Denmark and how some people will go to any length to survive. Not for the faint of heart.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/08/25

Full Review

Audience Member

Captivating and suspenseful

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/22/25

Full Review

martyna j

"Girl with a Needle" is an incredibly moving and beautifully made film that delights with both an engaging plot and wonderful acting. The director masterfully captures the emotions of the characters, and the atmosphere of the era is presented with extraordinary attention to detail. It is a story full of passion, drama and emotion, which will remain in the memory for a long time. I highly recommend it!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/09/25

Full Review

Kenneth R D

This is a stunningly well done, psychological horror film. The photography is sumptuous, the sound / score exceptionally impactful and the subject matter of the depths of disregard for the life and well being of others amid and following WW1 is haunting. The tension and impact Magnus Van Horn achieves without being graphic is extraordinary.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/03/25

Full Review

Vladislav R

A haunting psychological drama about the real horrors of life, the social issues of the post-war era, and human cruelty toward one another. Visually, the film is stunning. The cinematography is particularly impressive, with masterful use of angles, shadows, and mirrors—reminiscent of Orson Welles.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/26/25

Full Review

Gregory W

This is dark. It’s set in Denmark after WWI and hits on some pretty serious topics, like class consciousness, poverty, women’s rights, family planning, ableism, and flat-out right or wrong. There is an utter lack of joy in this movie, purposefully. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a beautifully shot but cold-hearted morality tale.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/26/25

Full Review

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Magnus von Horn

Director

Vic Carmen Sonne

Karoline

Trine Dyrholm

Dagmar

Besir Zeciri

Peter

Ava Knox Martin

Erena

Joachim Fjelstrup

Jørgen

The Girl with the Needle: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

A standout selection from the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, THE GIRL WITH THE NEEDLE is a dark fairy tale about one woman's search for tenderness and morality in a cruel world. Both eerie and exquisite, writer-director Magnus von Horn's latest film tracks young factory worker Karoline as she struggles to survive in post-WWI Copenhagen. When she ends up unemployed, abandoned and pregnant, the charismatic Dagmar takes her in to help run an underground adoption agency for unwanted children. The two women form an unexpected bond, until a sudden revelation changes everything. Based on a chilling true story, THE GIRL WITH THE NEEDLE presents a masterful gothic vision with profound contemporary resonance. Denmark's Best International Feature Film entry to the 97th Academy Awards® also features EFA-nominated performances from Vic Carmen Sonne and Trine Dyrholm, gorgeous cinematography by EO's Michał Dymek, and a spellbinding score by Frederikke Hoffmeier (Puce Mary).

Director: Magnus von Horn
Producer: Malene Blenkov, Mariusz Włodarski
Screenwriter: Magnus von Horn, Line Langebek
Distributor: MUBI
Production Co: Nordisk Film
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Danish
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 6, 2024, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA): $112.2K
Runtime: 2h 3m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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