A Garota da Agulha

It's the last days of The Great War and Karoline is barely eking out an existence working in a factory. She believes herself to be a widow as her husband disappeared during the war (even though Denmark didn't really participate), but is not getting the benefits for widows because he has not been listed as dead.

A lot happens during the movie and I don't want to go into spoilers, so I won't go deeper into the plot except that the marketing is emphasizing something that is not as big a part in the movie as someone might expect.

While that does get a lot of attention in the latter half of the movie, to me the real value of the movie is the feeling of reality around Karoline's story. When was the last time someone in a movie was trying to convince a potential tenant to take up an apartment by telling them that they can get running water for two whole hours a day (from ten to noon, which might not be much of a selling point as most people would be working during those hours)? When was the rampant drug use of the era portrayed so candidly? Even what Dagmar is doing was relatively commonplace back in the day, although I would hazard a guess the trend was downward at this point in time and it wasn't happening as much as it had before.

I actually might have enjoyed the movie more if the marketing was different and Dagmar wasn't brought up, because it created expectations. While Dagmar is a major character, the movie is clearly about Karoline and her hardships. On the other hand, it is hard to say how I would have felt seeing the name Dagmar Overby on a door if I hadn't known beforehand that this real life person was used in the movie. (It should be noted that the movie is inspired by real life events rather than based on, so they are trying to maintain a certain distance to the real Dagmar).

I do feel some part of the audience will find it hard to symphathize with Karoline, as she does sometimes seem to make the right decision just a little too late. At the same time, there isn't that much time or opportunity for ethics when you are just trying to survive in a world where the odds have been stacked against you. On the other hand, while we know the hope she is given would be for nothing in this world, we still understand why she gives into it.

I like the look of the film. It's black and white and the whole city seems to be decrepit and barely holding up. It reminds us of the lack of interest in the well-being of or even disdain for the working poor. Have things really changed that much? The time being depicted happened over a century ago, but the concept of female bodily autonomy is under constant assault again.

Of course, all art is in some way a mirror of the time it was made, but it just seems easier to see the similarities here.

This movie has some of the scariest scenes I've seen in any film this year, even compared to the best horror movies of 2024. The first act feels like a darker, more chilling version of Anora. It starts with themes of survival and desperation, as a working-class woman in post-WWI Copenhagen finds an opportunity to change her social class. But the story evolves into something much deeper, diving into ethical dilemmas around motherhood, sacrifice, and the difficult choices women face when their options are limited.

And yet, there's even more to unpack in this stunningly shot, expertly crafted period drama. It's about moral ambiguity, isolation, loneliness, societal stigmas, female agency, power dynamics, and the lingering impact of war. The only thing holding it back for me is how heavy-handed it gets with the subject of abortion, especially in the final speech, which felt a bit out of place.

It hit me hard with bricks of sadness and empathy for the main character, thanks to Vic Carmen Sonne's incredible performance as the lead. Every other actor is equally impressive. The black-and-white cinematography is breathtaking, the music is hypnotic, and the overall production is top-notch. With all its dark and heavy themes, this movie is an absolute blast to watch. Highly recommended!

Magnus Von Horn's powerful film inspired by true events, beautifully composed in black and white. This Danish-Polish-Swedish co-produced film demonstrate aesthetics definitely from couple of possibly sources from German expressionist to film noir genres.

The story surrounds a young woman, Karoline (played by Victoria Carmen Sonne) who begins a new life in the city, coming from the surges of the World War era or "Great War". Her husband was considered a war casualty thus begins a new romance leading to a unexpected pregnancy.

Not winning approval of the relationship with her wealthy lover's family, she in unknown depression figures to do away with the unborn. She befriends Dagmar (played by Trine Dryholm) and her daughter Erena, decides to continue to birthing a child for "adoption" option.

This storyline with plot twists and tropes goes into complete darkness with murders, drug addition and human trafficking. It was inspired by 1921 serial killer, Dagmar Over by who murdered numerous infants. This film show try show, in some troublesome way in humanizing these crimes, letting the viewer debate on the killer's motivation.

Brilliantly directed with top-tier performances by both Von Somme and Dryholm along with exceptional soundtrack, to create emotional and anticipation tension. It's monochromatic visual are such sights to view the gritty aspects of urban 1920s life, some much dramatic.

Its visceral richness, presents an insight even to subcultures developing at the time from circuses and their side show, showing the "freaks" of nature. It challenges the intimacy of motherhood, somehow showing it underbelly of darkness.

Van Horn's handling of actual event information into a fictional account is truly astonishing, great detail paid to the era's tradition and domestic customs. This film is being marketed as a psychological horror film but it's more of an emotional portrait of human conflict, sparked by a gender political discourse.

When rating watched movies, i always feel like there's something could be done differently or better, so even for "very good" movies i give 9 star.

This is my first 10 star rating. It's a perfect movie.

It's quite difficult to describe it as the whole movie has so many layers. It was emotionally on the edge and nervewrecking, very painful to watch. Even when you start to see the faint ray of hope, it soon vanishes brutally. But that's how the life was after the WW1. Povetry and broken people.

It was also visually gorgeous, eventhough there's nothing gorgeous in that movie.

Highly recommended, but not for snowflakes.

Swedish director Magnus von Horn demonstrates his mastery when it comes to creating a disturbing and controversial film that is even more impactful because it is based on real events.

It's engaging, but it will also turn off quite a few.

With its more than deserved nomination for best international film, this Danish film that takes us to post-war Denmark hides a disturbing story accompanied by a direction without caution by Magnus von Horn , who in each shot, in each frame and in each decision takes us towards a sinister door from which it is difficult to recover once we understand the whole path hidden in this wonderful script. With a black and white staging that accentuates much more the dark side of a humanity that does not know of time, but of evil, which is magnified by some secondary characters that surround our protagonist in the most bizarre and distressing that one can appreciate.

It's a movie that, if you accept the challenge, will grab you and make you live a corrupted experience with a brutal story that leaves nothing to be desired but to question how timeless a story like this can be, but if you're not willing to take on that challenge, it's a movie that will make you have a bad time every time.

A protagonist who provides a light.

Victoria Carmen Sonne's performance is the key to keeping us determined to follow this story. The actress takes all the recognition in her interpretation of a character who has suffered, beaten down and forgotten in every sense. A character that captivates you and despite all the evil that surrounds her, it is a sigh of light that the Danish actress delivers on screen. We can also add a supporting character like Trine Dyrholm who also steals all her moments with a sinister character who really manages to cause fear between the bizarreness of her behavior and her madness.

Mature cinema.

A mature film that is not afraid to be controversial in form and content and that, with a direction that follows the same path, leaves the feeling that it is a film that has a lot to tell and a lot to exploit in terms of its reception by the viewer. Its director consolidates himself as a director of weight and daring, which makes it more interesting than it already was.

Conclusion.

One of the best international films of the year, without a doubt, Danish cinema once again demonstrates the narrative strength it has and a director who once again positions his name as one to always follow. A sinister proposal that leaves you disturbed when you discover its twists and its real intentions, a film for the brave.