The Girl with the Needle

The Girl with the Needle | 2024 | 15 | Dir. Magnus von Horn | Denmark | IMDb 7.5 | Subtitled | 123 mins

Magnus von Horn’s The Girl with the Needle (2024) is a haunting, gothic historical horror that plunges viewers into the bleak, post-World War I streets of Copenhagan. Loosely based on the harrowing true story of serial killer Dagmar Overbye The Girl With the Needle is based on Denmark’s 1921 baby-killer case. This high-contrast monochrome film delivers a devastating look at desperation and survival. It is a masterful, though undeniably distressing, piece of cinema.

One of the most striking aspects of the film is its black-and-white cinematography. Director Magnus von Horn and cinematographer Michal Dymek purposefully omit colour to reject any romanticised nostalgia for the past. Instead, the visuals create a gothic fairy tale atmosphere that emphasizes the resolute bleakness of the setting. Every frame feels soaked in menace and dread, resulting in a suffocating tension that rivals the most effective psychological thrillers.

The film is anchored by two phenomenal lead performances that carry the emotional weight of the story. Vic Carmen Sonne portrays Karoline’s quiet suffering and gradual descent into darkness with a brilliant, raw authenticity. Opposite her, Trine Dyrholm delivers a multi-layered and terrifyingly complex performance as Dagmar, a woman who is both tormented and profoundly chilling.

The Girl with the Needle is not an easy watch. It tackles harrowing themes of poverty, societal judgment, and morality in the wake of catastrophic war. However, its exceptional directing, stunning technical merits, and thought-provoking narrative make it an outstanding and highly original piece of cinema.

·       Screen 1

·       Doors open 7pm (or when Odeon staff permit entry)

·       Welcome from our chair Paula Stott @ 7.30pm

·       Free parking after 6pm if you DISPLAY an orange parking voucher, available from Odeon staff

·       Unreserved seating

·       We invite every viewer to score the film afterwards using a token system in the lobby