After one year abroad, Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) returns to Sweden and immediately becomes a suspect in a murder investigation involving three victims; Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) tries to help her clear her name.

The second chapter in the “Millennium” trilogy has a simpler story than The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, even if the outlines of a major conspiracy reveal themselves, one that won’t be resolved until the third part.

Director Daniel Alfredson and his team made the right decisions in transferring the novel to the screen, delivering an engaging albeit unspectacular movie with a satisfying amount of thrills. 

2009-Sweden-Germany. 129 min. Color. Directed by Daniel Alfredson. Novel: Stieg Larsson. Cast: Michael Nyqvist (Mikael Blomkvist), Noomi Rapace (Lisbeth Salander), Lena Endre (Erika Berger), Georgi Staykov, Johan Kylén, Yasmine Garbi, Sofia Ledarp, Annika Hallin, Niklas Hjulström, Magnus Krepper, Jennie Silfverhjelm, Paolo Roberto, Per Oscarsson, Peter Andersson, Ralph Carlsson, Jacob Ericksson, Reuben Sallmander, Anders Ahlbom. 

Trivia: Original title: Flickan som lekte med elden. Real-life former prize-fighter Roberto plays himself. Later shown with the other chapters on TV as a series, complete with extended material. Followed by The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest (2009).