3/5
(18+) Sweden. Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace, Ewa Fröling
Like the Stieg Larsson novel on which it is based, this tight thriller puts a new spin on the classic moves of an old-fashioned mystery story. For decades, someone has been sending aging industrialist Henrik Vanger a pressed flower every year on his birthday, a gift that taunts him because the tradition was started by his niece, who disappeared in 1965. Vanger hires disgraced business journalist Mikael (Nyqvist) to take one last look at the case. Edgy hacker Lisbeth (Rapace), the tattooed and multiply pierced girl of the title, becomes Mikael’s partner in research.
Screenwriters Nikolaj Arcel and Rasmus Heisterberg have trimmed the story without losing the sense of complexity and, like the novel, the film keeps you thoroughly engaged even after the case has been solved and most movies would be rolling the credits.
