Exploring the Emotional Impact of 'The Girl with the Needle (2024)' – A Must-Watch Crime Drama on MUBI

Karoline, a young factory worker, struggles to survive. When she becomes pregnant, she meets Dagmar, a charismatic woman who runs an underground adoption agency. Karoline accepts a role as a wet nurse alongside her.

The Girl with the Needle (2024) is a deeply tragic, emotional and impactful feature to watch unfold. The film follows the life of Karoline, a young woman who perseveres through adversity and the obstacles the world continues to throw at her. 

The film is set in Denmark, in 1919 and is set in a post-World War I era. Aesthetically the feature is shot in black and white and overall delivers in a harsh take on humanity and its decisions whilst giving a believable portrayal of the time period. I would find myself forgetting I am watching a film from 2024 rather than 1924 - beautifully shot and beautifully executed. 

The Girl with the Needle (2024) is a difficult film to watch at times, it tackles intense themes and the harsh realities of poverty, desperation and moral ambiguity. Just as you feel the film cannot take you to a deeper place, it does. This feature continues down the rabbit hole of despair and doesn’t give you a second to recover. 

The feature comments on the treatment of women and the dismissal of women’s needs and resilience through the toughest of environments. I was moved by the story but it also affected me mentally, the themes in this film are heavy, heard hitting and a shock to the system. 

The performances were alluring from the beginning, Vic Carmen Sonne in the lead role was heartbreakingly raw. She delivered all the heartache, exhaustion and determination her character needed, she was magnificent and without her the film would have fallen apart. 

Once the film finished I needed a moment to take in what I had watched, I needed a moment to think. Be aware that this film is heartbreaking and is guaranteed to be upsetting to most audiences, if you find the mistreatment, abandonment and harm of babies too much, this film is not for you. It is a cruel plot and it never gets better, the film gradually gets harder and harder to watch. 

This film reminds us how cruel the world can be, then and now. The world is unbelievably tragic and The Girl with the Needle (2024) gives us an opportunity to step into the shoes of a young woman who forced to make tough, life changing decisions one after another. 

Impactful, emotional but most of all heartbreaking. 

I have scored this film so highly because it was like nothing I had seen before, it was not pleasant to watch by any means and I will never be returning to it but it was performed beautifully, incredibly written and paced well.

Probe Points 

★★★★☆