The Unknown Girl

Released Sep 8, 2017

1 hr. 53 min.

Drama

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List

73%

95 Reviews

Tomatometer

49%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Jenny, a talented doctor, refuses to open the door of her practice to a mysterious late-night caller. The next morning, she learns that the caller was a girl who has been found dead, and the police have no way of identifying her. Shocked and guilt-stricken by the news, Jenny resolves to discover the name of the girl so she will not be buried anonymously and to ensure she doesn't disappear as if she had never lived.

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Critics Consensus

The Unknown Girl isn't quite up to the standards of the Dardenne brothers' best work, but remains a well-acted effort that pays poignant -- albeit limited -- dividends.

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Gustavo M

Puede una película, del cine independiente, no tener escenas de sexo explícito o desnudez y aún así ser una excelente obra de arte? Definitivamente sí. Y ésta película es una prueba de lo que afirmo. Ésto es verdaderamente cine. Películas como éstas son las que me encantan!!! Para mí 99% de las escenas de desnudez y el 1000% de escenas de sexo explícito en películas del cine independiente son innecesarias.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/16/24

Full Review

isla s

This is a mystery film, a crime mystery as seen through the eyes of a local French doctor. We learn about various people in said doctors community and as pieces of said unknown girls story start to come together, we get an insight into her life, her situations. Its a somewhat gritty story and I certainly felt I could understand the main character, the doctor Jenny Davin, in feeling concern for this girls identity to be found, for her family to be made aware of whats happened, given she was very close nearby shortly before her death. I liked the plot pace, not too overly fast and hard to keep track of and yet not painstakingly slow to the point of utter boredom. I found myself wondering what potential secrets other locals may be keeping from her and I thought it was interesting, given she wasn't a police officer, seeing how people reacted to her questions, her curiosity to try and see what she could discover about the identity of the initially seemingly anonymous person. It is a somewhat sobering and thought provoking watch at times but I thought it was quite well made and I'd say its a good film, a good example of world cinema (its in French).

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

kevin c

Simon Pegg plays a psychiatrist who decides to take self imposed retreat around the globe to search for the true meaning of happiness. Didn't know anything about this going in, but assumed it was a straight comedy. While there are some humorous moments and situations, this is more drama than anything else. Decent and sweet story with some great cameos popping up in various points of the film including Christopher Plummer. Toni Collette and Stellan Skarsgard. Good flick.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Very subdued performances. I would have liked more dialogue, or at least more facial expression, as the story supported a bit more from the actors than was given.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Dit verhaal had een spannende detective-thriller kunnen worden of een comediedrama, maar nu is het 3x niks.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

Carl W

Absolutely brilliant one of the best French movies I have on Blu ray. It have a lot of twists that keeps you going.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/06/20

Full Review

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Jean-Pierre Dardenne

Director

Luc Dardenne

Director

Adèle Haenel

Jenny Davin

Olivier Bonnaud

Julien

Jérémie Renier

Le père de Bryan

Louka Minnella

Bryan

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The Unknown Girl: Trailer 1

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Scott Marks

San Diego Reader

The last thing one expected was for the Belgian Dardenne brothers to dote on a murder mystery, particularly one involving a medico turned amateur sleuth that's fraught with coincidence like so much of what's already out there.

Rated: 1/5

Sep 29, 2017

Full Review

Michael O'Sullivan

Washington Post

The question that looms large here, lingering long after the closing credits, is whether, despite our human need for forgiveness, absolution is ever truly possible.

Rated: 3/4

Sep 28, 2017

Full Review

Steven D. Greydanus

National Catholic Register

Jenny's search is a quest for atonement, not only for herself, but also for others. A physician of the body, she becomes a kind of physician of the soul, her clinic office a secular confessional, sealed by her ethic of doctor-patient confidentiality.

Rated: A

Sep 22, 2017

Full Review

Emiliano Basile

EscribiendoCine

Although not one of Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne's best films, The Unknown Girl manages to transcend the minimal story it tells. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 8/10

Feb 13, 2024

Full Review

Aaron Boalick

Vague Visages

What it vibrantly presents, however, is her modest yet determined resilience in the face of a multitude of tiny threats. And that makes both Jenny and The Unknown Girl quietly heroic.

Nov 30, 2023

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

The Dardennes simply depict true life and allow it to speak volumes. That’s the cinematic world they work in, and Adèle Haenel fits beautifully on their canvas.

Rated: 4.5/5

Aug 21, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

Jenny, a talented doctor, refuses to open the door of her practice to a mysterious late-night caller. The next morning, she learns that the caller was a girl who has been found dead, and the police have no way of identifying her. Shocked and guilt-stricken by the news, Jenny resolves to discover the name of the girl so she will not be buried anonymously and to ensure she doesn't disappear as if she had never lived.

Director: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne
Executive Producer: Delphine Tomson
Screenwriter: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne
Distributor: IFC Films
Production Co: RTBF, France 2 Cinéma, Les Films du Fleuve, Savage Film, Archipel 35, Voo & be TV
Genre: Drama
Original Language: French (France)
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 8, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 8, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $88.6K
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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