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The Girl with the Needle

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The Girl with the Needle
Theatrical release poster
DanishPigen med nålen
Directed byMagnus von Horn
Written by
  • Magnus von Horn
  • Line Langebek
Produced by
  • Malene Blenkov
  • Mariusz Włodarski
Starring
CinematographyMichał Dymek
Edited byAgnieszka Glinska
Music byFrederikke Hoffmeier
Production
companies
  • Nordisk Film Denmark
  • Lava Films
  • Nordisk Film Sweden
  • Film i Väst
  • EC1 Łódź
  • Lower Silesia Film Centre
Distributed by
Release dates
  • 15 May 2024 (2024-05-15) (Cannes)
  • 17 January 2025 (2025-01-17) (Poland)
  • 23 January 2025 (2025-01-23) (Denmark)
Running time
115 minutes
Countries
  • Denmark
  • Poland
  • Sweden
LanguageDanish
Box office$482,760[1][2]

The Girl with the Needle (Danish: Pigen med nålen) is a 2024 historical psychological horror film directed by Magnus von Horn, from a screenplay written by Horn and Line Langebek. Set in 1919, the film stars Vic Carmen Sonne as a young woman who begins working as a wet nurse at a secretive adoption agency for disadvantaged mothers, but who grows suspicious of the woman who runs the operation. It is very loosely based on the true story of Danish serial killer Dagmar Overbye.

The film was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, where it premiered on 15 May 2024 to critical acclaim. It was named one of the top 5 international films of 2024 by the National Board of Review.[3] It has been nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards and for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards.

Plot

[edit]

Copenhagen, 1919: Karoline is unable to apply for widow's compensation because her husband Peter, who has not written back to her since being deployed, has not been officially declared dead. She is forced to move into squalid conditions, working as a seamstress with her friend Frida at a local factory. Peter, who has been brutally mutilated in battle, returns after Karoline has begun a romantic relationship with her boss Jørgen and fallen pregnant. Karoline, disgusted by Peter and optimistic about a life of better conditions with Jørgen, rejects him, but Jørgen's mother forbids the two to be married.

Alone and without prospects, Karoline attempts a shoddy abortion with a large needle at the local baths but is stopped by an woman called Dagmar and 7-year-old Erena. Dagmar treats Karoline's wounds and instructs her bring the baby to her sweets shop, where she secretly runs a business finding homes for unwanted babies. Karoline soon discovers Peter working at a local circus, and the two begin living together again. Meanwhile, Peter is besieged with violent psychotic episodes.

Karoline gives birth to a daughter. While Peter wants to keep the baby, sharing he can no longer have any of his own, Karoline takes her to Dagmar's sweets shop. Unable to pay Dagmar's fee, Karoline offers herself up as a wet nurse and begins living at the shop. Karoline settles into her new life, befriending Erena, who she occasionally breastfeeds, and bonding with Dagmar, who seems to share similar feelings of loneliness and guilt. The two women begin recreationally abusing ether together.

Dagmar accepts an abandoned baby boy, who she allows Karoline to care for until he can be found a home. As Karoline enjoys her time with him, Frida remains suspicious of Dagmar's operations. One evening, Erena asks to breastfeed. When Karoline rejects her, committed to breastfeeding the baby boy, Erena attempts to smother him, narrowly stopped by Karoline. The next day, Dagmar takes the baby away, claiming to have found him a family. Concerned this is in retaliation for her treatment of Erena, Karoline follows Dagmar and is horrified to witness her throttling the baby to death before dumping his body in a sewer drain. At the sweets shop, Karoline confronts Dagmar, who admits to killing all the babies she has collected, including Karoline's daughter, claiming she does not want to bring up something so innocent in a cruel world. Dagmar begins heavily dosing Karoline with ether.

Frida, having learned of Dagmar's services from Karoline, attends a friend dropping her unwanted baby off at the shop but grows ever more uneasy when she glimpses a disoriented Karoline. Dagmar tries to convince Karoline to kill the baby and the two brawl, accidentally smothering it to death. Later, the woman returns for her baby, regretting giving it up and threatening to call the police if it isn't returned. As Dagmar panics, Karoline jumps out of a window.

Police apprehend Dagmar and send Erena to an orphanage. Karoline, having survived her fall, goes to the traveling circus that Peter now lives with. The two reconcile and Karoline is weaned off of ether with Peter's support. She lies about the fate of her child. Dagmar is tried in court for her crimes, where she protects Karoline from association and defends her decision to spare the unwanted babies lives of poverty. Sometime later, Karoline adopts Erena from the orphanage.

Cast

[edit]

Production

[edit]

The Girl with the Needle is Magnus von Horn's third feature after The Here After (2015) and Sweat (2020). He wrote the screenplay with Line Langebek.[4] It is very loosely based on the true story of Danish serial killer Dagmar Overbye, who manipulated impoverished mothers into leaving their unwanted children in her care, as adoptees, and subsequently murdered them. She was first sentenced to death in 1921, but it was later changed into a lifetime in prison. Overbye remains Denmark's most prolific serial killer.[5][6] Horn described the film as a "fairy tale for grownups" and was motivated "not to just make a straight genre piece [but] to flirt with genre. That became a great lens to look at the story, for me and the cinematographer and the set designers and the costumes."[4]

The film was produced by Malene Blenkov for Nordisk Film Denmark and Mariusz Wlodarski for Lava Films (Poland), in co-production with Nordisk Film Sweden.[5]

Release

[edit]
Standing ovation following the world premiere of The Girl with the Needle in Cannes

The Girl with the Needle was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it had its world premiere on 15 May 2024.[7] It made its North American premiere in the Special Presentations section at the 49th Toronto International Film Festival on 5 September 2024.[8] The film has also been selected for the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2024, where it will be screened under the World Cinema section.[9]

International sales were handled by The Match Factory, whose parent Mubi acquired distribution rights to the film for North and Latin America, United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Italy, Turkey and India a few days after its premiere.[10][11] The film premiered in New York and Los Angeles on 6 December 2024.[12] Gutek Film is set to distribute the film in Poland on 17 January 2025, under the title Dziewczyna z igłą.[13] Nordisk Film Distribution is set to release the film in Denmark on 23 January 2025.[12]

Reception

[edit]

Critical response

[edit]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 92% of 90 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.9/10. The website's consensus reads: "Threading its grim tale through sumptuous black-and-white photography, The Girl with the Needle is a haunting parable made with superb craft."[14] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 83 out of 100, based on 21 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[15]

The reviews from Cannes described the film as "grippingly acted";[16] a "sombre, commercially uncompromising work";[17] and a "poetic and dark fairy tale."[18] The film was praised for its unique approach towards dealing with subjects of commodification and apathy during the times of war, with film critic Alan Laidlaw describing it as a "cinematic triumph".[19]

On 19 September 2024, the film was announced as Denmark's submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards,[12][20] and made the December shortlist,[21] before being nominated for the Academy Award on 23 January 2025.[22]

Accolades

[edit]
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Academy Awards 2 March 2025 Best International Feature Film Denmark Pending [22]
Cannes Film Festival 25 May 2024 Palme d'Or Magnus von Horn Nominated [23]
Camerimage 23 November 2024 Golden Frog Michał Dymek Won [24][25]
European Film Awards 7 December 2024 European Actress Trine Dyrholm Nominated [26]
[27]
Vic Carmen Sonne Nominated
European Screenwriter Magnus von Horn and Line Langebek Nominated
European Production Design Jagna Dobesz Won [28]
[29]
European Original Score Frederikke Hoffmeier Won
Golden Globe Awards 5 January 2025 Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language The Girl with the Needle Nominated [30]
Golden Reel Awards 23 February 2025 Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – International Feature Morten Pilegaard, Oskar Skriver, Christian Roed Dalsgaard, Patrick Ghislain, Julien Naudin Pending [31]
Göteborg Film Festival 1 February 2025 Fipresci Award The Girl with the Needle Won [32]
Gdynia Film Festival 27 September 2024 Polish Film Abroad Festivals And Reviews Award Magnus von Horn Won [33]
Young Jury Award Won
Arthouse Cinemas Network Award Won
Journalists Award Won
Best Casting Award Tanja Grunwald Won
28 September 2024 Silver Lions The Girl with the Needle Won [34]
Best Actress in a Supporting Role Trine Dyrholm Won
Best Cinematography Michał Dymek Won
Best Music Frederikke Hoffmeier Won
Best Art Direction Jagna Dobesz Won
Best Costume Design Małgorzata Fudala Won
National Board of Review 7 January 2025 Top Five International Films The Girl with the Needle Won [35]
San Diego Film Critics Society 9 December 2024 Best Foreign Language Film Nominated [36]
Seville European Film Festival 16 November 2024 Best Direction Magnus von Horn Won [37]
Best Actress Trine Dyrholm Won
Best Cinematography Michał Dymek Won
Best Art Direction Jagna Dobesz Won

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Pigen med nålen (2024)". The Numbers. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
  2. ^ "The Girl with the Needle (2024)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
  3. ^ "2024 Archives". National Board of Review. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  4. ^ a b Vourlias, Christopher (10 May 2024). "Magnus von Horn's Cannes Contender 'The Girl With the Needle' Unveils First Clip (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  5. ^ a b Pham, Annika (18 January 2024). "The Match Factory Snaps Up 'Sweat' Director Magnus von Horn's First Genre Pic, 'The Girl With the Needle' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on 1 March 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  6. ^ Lerche Kristiansen, Annegerd (15 October 2017). "Vidste du… at denne kvinde er danmarkshistoriens største seriemorder?" (in Danish). DR. Archived from the original on 26 May 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  7. ^ "The Screenings Guide of the 77th Festival de Cannes". Festival de Cannes. 8 May 2024. Archived from the original on 8 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  8. ^ "The Girl with the Needle". Toronto International Film Festival. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  9. ^ Deb, Deepshikha (30 September 2024). "MAMI Mumbai Film Festival Unveils 2024 Official Lineup". High On Films. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  10. ^ Abbatescianni, Davide (10 May 2024). "The Match Factory pins its hopes on four competition titles at Cannes". Cineuropa. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  11. ^ Keslassy, Elsa; Ritman, Alex (18 May 2024). "Mubi Acquires Magnus von Horn's Chilling Cannes Competition Entry 'The Girl With the Needle'". Variety. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  12. ^ a b c "'Pigen med nålen' er Danmarks Oscar-kandidat". Danish Film Institute (in Danish). 19 September 2024. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  13. ^ "Dziewczyna z igłą" (in Polish). Gutek Film. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  14. ^ "The Girl with the Needle". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 30 January 2025. Edit this at Wikidata
  15. ^ "The Girl with the Needle". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  16. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (16 May 2024). "The Girl With the Needle review – horrific drama based on Denmark's 1921 baby-killer case". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  17. ^ Lodge, Guy (15 May 2024). "'The Girl With the Needle' Review: Magnus von Horn's Expressionistic Nightmare of Women Abandoned by Society". Variety. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  18. ^ Utichi, Joe (15 May 2024). "'The Girl With The Needle' Review: Magnus Von Horn's Dark Fairytale Retelling Of Denmark's Most Infamous Serial Murder Case Is Beguiling – Cannes Film Festival". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  19. ^ Laidlaw, Alan (6 February 2025). "'The Girl with the Needle': The Commodification of the Human Body Has Never Looked So Terrifying". Medium. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
  20. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (19 September 2024). "Oscars: Denmark Selects 'The Girl With The Needle' As Best International Feature Submission". Deadline. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  21. ^ Lattanzio, Ryan (17 December 2024). "Oscars 2025 Shortlists Unveiled: 'Emilia Pérez' and 'Wicked' Nab the Most Spots". IndieWire. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
  22. ^ a b Gonzalez, Shivani (23 January 2025). "2025 Oscar Nominations: See the Full List". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
  23. ^ Ntim, Zac (11 April 2024). "Cannes Film Festival Lineup Set: Competition Includes Coppola, Audiard, Cronenberg, Arnold, Lanthimos, Sorrentino & Abbasi's Trump Movie — Full List". Deadline. Archived from the original on 10 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  24. ^ Giardina, Carolyn (30 October 2024). "'Gladiator 2,' 'Dune 2,' 'Blitz' Among Camerimage's 2024 Main Competition Lineup". Variety. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  25. ^ Brzeski, Patrick (23 November 2024). "Camerimage: Gripping Danish Drama 'The Girl With the Needle' Wins Golden Frog". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  26. ^ Szalai, Georg (5 November 2024). "European Film Awards: 'The Substance,' 'Emilia Pérez,' 'The Room Next Door,' Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Tilda Swinton Among Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  27. ^ "Nominations 2024". European Film Academy. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  28. ^ Dams, Tim (13 November 2024). "'The Substance', 'The Girl With The Needle' lead craft winners at European Film Awards". Screen International. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  29. ^ "Excellence Awards Winners 2024". European Film Academy. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  30. ^ VanHoose, Benjamin (9 December 2024). "2025 Golden Globe Nominations: 'Wicked,' 'The Substance,' 'The Bear' and 'Shōgun' All Score". People.com. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  31. ^ Pedersen, Erik (6 January 2025). "Motion Picture Sound Editors Reveal 2025 MPSE Golden Reel Awards Nominations". Deadline. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  32. ^ Dalton, Ben (1 February 2025). "Icelandic drama 'When The Light Breaks' leads Goteborg winners". Screen Daily. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  33. ^ "YOUNG GALA | WINNERS OF THE 49TH PFF". Festiwal Polskich Filmów Fabularnych. 27 September 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  34. ^ "WINNERS OF THE 49th PFF". Festiwal Polskich Filmów Fabularnych. 30 September 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  35. ^ "NATIONAL BOARD OF REVIEW NAMES 2024 HONOREES". National Board of Review. 4 December 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  36. ^ "2024 San Diego Film Critics Society Nominations". San Diego Film Critics Society. 6 December 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  37. ^ ""And Their Children After Them" wins the Golden Giraldillo at the Seville European Film Festival". Festival de Sevilla. 16 November 2024. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
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