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The Girl with the Needle
Pigen med nålen
2024 123 min Denmark, Poland, Sweden 18+
★8.0
Drama, History
Director: Magnus von Horn
Trailers
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Description
Struggling to survive in post-WWI Copenhagen, a newly unemployed and pregnant young woman is taken in by a charismatic elder to help run an underground adoption agency. The two form an unexpected bond, until a sudden discovery changes everything.
US Gross:
$112,199
Worldwide:
$470,300
Starring
Vic Carmen Sonne
Actor
Trine Dyrholm
Actor
Besir Zeciri
Actor
Awards
Academy Awards 2025
— Best International Feature Film
Golden Globe 2025
— Best International Feature Film
Cannes Film Festival 2024
— Palme d'Or
Key opinion
Pigen med nålen is a technically masterful, visually arresting historical drama that captures the grim desperation of post-WWI Denmark. While the performances and atmosphere are widely praised for their suffocating intensity, some critics feel the film’s commitment to stylistic perfection occasionally overshadows its emotional and thematic depth.
| Cinematography | The black-and-white cinematography and meticulous production design create a deeply immersive, gothic atmosphere that effectively mirrors the period's despair. | |
| Acting | VicCarmen Sonne and Trine Dyrholm deliver powerful, nuanced performances that anchor the dark narrative through silent-film expressiveness and calculated, manic energy. | |
| Score | The haunting, atmospheric score by Frederikke Hoffmeier successfully amplifies the film's pervasive sense of dread and mounting tension. | |
| Emotion | The film's emotional impact is polarizing; while many find it an masterfully harrowing experience, others describe it as cold, distancing, or excessively depressing. | |
| Screenplay | While praised for its technical execution, opinions diverge on the screenplay, with some finding it a compelling moral exploration and others viewing it as lacking deep thematic insight. |