Not for the faint of heart. Director Magnus van Horn describes his gothic horror film as a “fairy tale for adults,” which makes you wonder what kind of fairy tales they read in Denmark.

Harrowing and utterly compelling, The Girl With The Needle is a stark study of the lack of choices for women in a cold, cold world. It’s 1917, the Great War has just ended, and things are pretty grim. At the bottom of the social order, factory worker Karoline finds herself pregnant, unwed, abandoned, and utterly desperate. At her very darkest hour, she meets a kindly woman who takes her in. But this angel of mercy is, to say the least, not what she seems.

The film creates its own very specific universe, though there are vibes of David Lynch, Lars von Trier, and Tod Browning. Michael Dymek’s thrilling monochromatic B&W photography suggests charcoal etchings, while production designer Jagna Dobesz admirably creates a claustrophobic, unforgiving Copenhagen comprised of dirty street and cramped rooms, while composer Frederikke Hoffmeir’s occasionally nerve-shredding score adds immeasurably to the proceedings.

Rich and satisfying, but dark-dark-dark, The Girl With the Needle offers a unique cinematic experience. ~SM