‘The Girl with the Needle’ Makes Light of A Dark, Dank True Story [Beyond Fest 2024 Review]
Some movies seek to actively disturb audiences through jump scares and gore, which can be upsetting to witness in the moment but not on reflection. Others, however, are about long-term disruption, poisoning your consciousness like black mold with their rancid subject matter and mood. The Girl with the Needle, which recently screened at Beyond Fest, is a perfect example of the latter breed of storytelling.
At first, The Girl with the Needle might seem like another WWII drama. After all, it taps into the real-life horrors of post-war life, including battle scars (physical and otherwise), relationship trauma, and newfound substance abuse issues. However, it’s also based on a Danish true crime story so dark even the most morbidly curious will struggle to choke it down.
The Girl with the Needle follows Karoline (Vic Carmen Sonne), a young seamstress who meets a strangely charming candy store owner (Trine Dyrholm as Dagmar) after getting pregnant out of wedlock. Their relationship starts warm and welcoming, but quickly turns toxic as Karoline learns that Dagmar is far from the maternal figure she purports to be. In fact, Dagmar may be a monster of an unimaginable sort.
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I’ll be frank: you will see multiple babies murdered in this film. And director Magnus von Horn and cinematographer Michal Dymek do not turn the camera away from the abject cruelty of these acts. But I truly believe that is the point of it all, with Dymek wanting to make you a bystander to the barbarity and, in effect, shake you out of complacency.
What makes Denmark’s hopeful Oscar contender more than just a depressing exercise in discomfort is how artfully it is made. The black and white cinematography adds to the positively dreadful vibe of the film, making even daylight scenes feel murky and destitute. The production and costume design are equally dank — at times, you feel like you can smell the unkept characters and their suffocating surroundings.
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Also extremely effective? The two lead actresses, especially the dastardly Dyrholm. Together, these women paint an icky, yet honest portrait of motherhood and the desperate measures women take to protect themselves and their kin. They make Amy Adams’ performance in Nightbitch (which is just fine) look like child’s play.
Ultimately, The Girl with the Needle is a harsh, yet necessary reminder of how horrific humanity can be, and has been, to its most vulnerable. It feels especially pointed in this current moment, as we continue to watch endless acts of terror obliterate cities and families. We say we want peace and crave unity, but innocent people (including thousands of children) keep getting caught in the crossfire. When will it end and who will be left behind to pick up the pieces?
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The Girl with the Needle
Summary
Spinning a true tale of abject horror into a complex yarn about motherhood, this Danish drama cuts right through the bone. Don’t see it with your mom.
