Set in post-World War I Copenhagen, the film tells the story of Karoline (Victoria Carmen Sonne), a young factory worker who becomes entangled in the dark world of illegal adoptions, and Dagmar (Trine Dyrholm), a midwife with a chilling secret.
From the very first frame, von Horn establishes a nightmarish atmosphere that permeates every aspect of the film.
The bleak, monochromatic cinematography by Michal Dymek is stunning in its starkness, evoking the despair and decay of a society still reeling from the aftermath of war. The imagery is haunting: empty streets shrouded in fog, dimly lit interiors that feel like prisons, and close-ups of hands stained with blood and ink. Each shot is meticulously composed, creating a visual language that is as oppressive as it is beautiful.
The film’s experimental score, composed by Piero Umiliani, is another standout element. It is a discordant, unsettling soundscape that mirrors the psychological turmoil of the characters, punctuating key moments with jarring bursts of noise or eerie silence. The score doesn’t just accompany the action, it amplifies it, heightening the tension and drawing you deeper into the film’s suffocating world.
At the heart of The Girl with the Needle are two incredible, complex performances by Victoria Carmen Sonne and Trine Dyrholm. Sonne, as Karoline, delivers a raw and deeply empathetic portrayal of a woman pushed to the brink by circumstance. Her transformation from a naive, hopeful young woman to a hardened survivor is both heartbreaking and riveting to watch. Dyrholm, on the other hand, is magnetic as Dagmar, a character whose maternal warmth masks a chilling pragmatism. The dynamic between the two women is fraught with tension and ambiguity, their relationship serving as the emotional and moral core of the film.
Von Horn’s direction is masterful, balancing the film’s unrelenting grimness with moments of unexpected tenderness. His script, co-written with Line Langebek, is a tightly wound narrative that unfolds with the precision of a thriller, yet never loses sight of its deeper thematic concerns. The film grapples with questions of guilt, complicity, and the lengths to which people will go to survive in a world that has abandoned them.
For those willing to brave its darkness, The Girl with the Needle is a bleak, harrowing and emotionally terribly affecting.
Review by Laurent de Alberti
Star rating: ★★★★★
Official Selection, in competition
The Girl with the Needle. Directed by Magnus von Horn. Starring Victoria Carmen Sonne, Trine Dyrholm...
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