The Unknown Girl

Name: The Unknown Girl
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Crime
Released: September 8, 2017
Duration: 113 min
Rating: 65
Cast: Adele Haenel, Ben Hamidou, Christelle Cornil, Jérémie Renier, Louka Minnelli

2017

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 21 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 22 Ratings

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6.5

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6.5	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 22 Ratings

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The Unknown Girl

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Movie Details & Credits

Artificial Eye | Release Date: September 8, 2017 | Not Rated

Starring: Adele Haenel, Ben Hamidou, Christelle Cornil, Jérémie Renier, Louka Minnelli, Nadège Ouedraogo, Olivier Bonnaud, Olivier Gourmet, Pierre Sumkay, Yves Larec

Summary: One evening after work hours, Jenny (Adèle Haenel), a young doctor, allows the door buzzer at the small clinic where she works to go unanswered. It’s only later that she learns that the person ringing was an unidentified African woman found dead shortly after by the side of a road. Consumed by the thought that she is to blame, Jenny embarksOne evening after work hours, Jenny (Adèle Haenel), a young doctor, allows the door buzzer at the small clinic where she works to go unanswered. It’s only later that she learns that the person ringing was an unidentified African woman found dead shortly after by the side of a road. Consumed by the thought that she is to blame, Jenny embarks on an obsessive crusade to discover who the anonymous woman was and to see to it that she is not forgotten. [Sundance Selects]… Expand

Director: Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne

Genre(s): Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Crime

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 113 min

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Critic Reviews

A.O. Scott

Sep 7, 2017

The Unknown Girl is as tense as a police procedural, and as mysterious as a religious parable. Read full review

Simon Kinnear

Dec 20, 2016

The Dardenne brothers deliver a perceptive portrait of professional integrity under pressure. Read full review

Guy Lodge

May 19, 2016

Though what we get is largely exemplary: a simple but urgent objective threaded with needling observations of social imbalance, a camera that gazes with steady intent into story-bearing faces, and an especially riveting example of one in their gifted, toughly tranquil leading lady Adèle Haenel. What’s missing...is any great sense of narrative or emotional surprise. Read full review

Justin Chang

Sep 14, 2017

Forcing their usual ethical query into the structure of a whodunit, the Dardennes have emerged with a narrative that, as compelling as it is, can also feel prosaic and even a bit predictable, especially in the overly aggressive melodrama of the closing scenes. Read full review

IndieWire Eric Kohn

May 19, 2016

The Unknown Girl combines its naturalistic direction with a strong lead performance and topicality, although these ingredients are hobbled by their familiarity. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Peter Sobczynski

Sep 8, 2017

Aan odd fusion of an earnest socially conscious drama and a B-movie mystery programmer that never quite comes together despite a strong performance from Adele Haenel at its center. Read full review

Jake Cole

Sep 20, 2016

This is a left-footed and clumsily insistent work, exposing the worst aspects inherent to the Dardennes' style. Read full review

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User Reviews

GinaK

Sep 20, 2017

What a wonderful film this is! The Dardenne brothers combine a human drama and a police procedural to make a riveting film. One night, an exhausted female doctor, who has already worked a very long day, does not answer the buzzer on the door at her clinic and a woman dies. Her assistant,What a wonderful film this is! The Dardenne brothers combine a human drama and a police procedural to make a riveting film. One night, an exhausted female doctor, who has already worked a very long day, does not answer the buzzer on the door at her clinic and a woman dies. Her assistant, equally guilty, quits medicine, but the young doctor refuses to give up until she at least finds out the woman’s name and gives her a decent burial. From here, the story is both tense and heroic – as the young doctor doggedly searches for the woman’s identity, regardless of how hopeless her quest seems or how much personal danger she risks. Adele Henael plays Dr. Jenny Davin with a compassion and determination that never turns maudlin or silly. A great performance in a very fine film that reminded me how powerful cinema still can be.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

netflic

Sep 25, 2017

It is a Belgian movie about guilt, responsibility and consciousness.
A young ambitious female doctor hears a buzz on her office's intercom.
Because it is after hours, she decides not to answer it which leads to a tragic event that is going to change her career plans and the whole life. TheIt is a Belgian movie about guilt, responsibility and consciousness.
A young ambitious female doctor hears a buzz on her office's intercom.
Because it is after hours, she decides not to answer it which leads to a tragic event that is going to change her career plans and the whole life.

The movie is made in the best traditions of Belgian cinematography, directed by Dardenne brothers. It is not flashy but profound. The doctor works in the working class neighborhood where people keep their emotions to themselves.

Even though the movie could be classified as a crime drama, the crime is not the main part of it but rather a frame to focus on phycological aspect of this drama. The main protagonist Dr. Davin is played by Adele Haenel who in my opinion is a rising star.

In French with English subtitles.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

JLuis_001

Mar 24, 2022

Directed by the filmmakers who gave me two films I loved, Two Days, One Night and Rosetta, came The Unknown Girl, a story that sounded great but devolves into a bad mix of social drama with a mystery that never quite comes together. I'm surprised by this handling by both directors, becauseDirected by the filmmakers who gave me two films I loved, Two Days, One Night and Rosetta, came The Unknown Girl, a story that sounded great but devolves into a bad mix of social drama with a mystery that never quite comes together. I'm surprised by this handling by both directors, because it's not that they don't seem to know what to do with the script, but that they don't know how to give it the right direction.

Their talent is recognized, but the problems of the narrative reveal a neglected interest in tackling a greater depth. To endow their film with a real personality. The result is not mediocre, just very inconsistent.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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