There are many of us who have no shame about our obsession with Lisbeth Salander, the tattooed, nose-ringed, bisexual computer hacker whom the late Swedish novelist Stieg Larsson placed at the center of his three posthumous bestsellers, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest. Given that, the prospect of a film version of the second book is a cause for excitement. It’s a shame that the second film, directed by Daniel Alfredson, lacks the stylistic flair and driving energy that Niels Arden Oplev brought to the film rendition of the first book. But Noomi Rapace, who became an international star in the role of Lisbeth, is back in action, and she’s spectacular.
The first film is available on Netflix streaming — in Swedish with English subtitles.