Copenhagen, 1919: Karoline is unable to apply for widow's compensation because her husband Peter, who has not written back to her since being deployed, has not been officially declared dead.

Peter, who has been brutally mutilated in battle, returns after Karoline has begun a romantic relationship with her boss Jørgen and fallen pregnant.

Alone and without prospects, Karoline attempts a shoddy abortion with a large needle at the local baths but is stopped by an old woman called Dagmar and 7-year-old Erena.

Karoline settles into her new life, befriending Erena, who she occasionally breastfeeds, and bonding with Dagmar, who seems to share similar feelings of loneliness and guilt.

Concerned this is in retaliation for her treatment of Erena, Karoline follows Dagmar and is horrified to witness her throttling the baby to death before dumping his body in a sewer drain.

Dagmar is tried in court for her crimes, where she protects Karoline from association and defends her decision to spare the unwanted babies lives of poverty.

[4] It is very loosely based on the true story of Danish serial killer Dagmar Overbye, who manipulated impoverished mothers into leaving their unwanted children in her care, as adoptees, and subsequently murdered them.

[7] It made its North American premiere in the Special Presentations section at the 49th Toronto International Film Festival on 5 September 2024.

[9] International sales were handled by The Match Factory, whose parent Mubi acquired distribution rights to the film for North and Latin America, United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Italy, Turkey and India a few days after its premiere.

The website's consensus reads: "Threading its grim tale through sumptuous black-and-white photography, The Girl with the Needle is a haunting parable made with superb craft.

[15] The reviews from Cannes described the film as "grippingly acted";[16] a "sombre, commercially uncompromising work";[17] and a "poetic and dark fairy tale.