Män som hatar kvinnor (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) (2009)

Based on the novel by Swedish author Stieg Larsson, the movie opens as journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) has been sentenced to prison for libel. But, before he starts serving his six-month sentence, he’s hired to investigate a 40-year-old cold case involving a missing teenager.

(Spoiler Alert: Read at Your Own Risk!)

Prior to the client hiring Blomkvist, he has him thoroughly vetted to make sure his nose is clean. Enter Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace), a hacker tasked with the “research.” She determines Blomkvist may have been framed. Despite her job being complete, Lisbeth continues her cyberspace snooping until she is no longer satisfied being a voyeur and enters Blomkvist’s life.

The cold case has substance that yanks you into the convoluted details but the unlikely duo of the tattooed goth and the calm journalist ignites the storyline. Both characters are cool; Lisbeth is tough, smart and trusts no one. Blomkvist is gentle, smart and tenacious. I liked this movie for reasons that surprised me…the story is decent (we could have learned a bit more about the characters) but watching the two characters interact and try to make sense of what draws them to one another is magic. I cannot wait for the next installment: The Girl Who Played with Fire. (Be warned: Movie contains two extremely violent sexual assault scenes.)

Director: Niels Arden Oplev

Country: Sweden

Genre: Thriller

Run time: 152 minutes

Scale: 4.5