THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER'S WEB

UK/Germany//Sweden, 2018, 117 minutes, Colour.
Claire Foy, Sylvia Hoeks, Lakeith Stanfield, Stephen Merchant, Cameron Britton, Vicky Krieps, Sverrir Gudnason, Claes Bang, Christopher Convery.
Directed by Fede Alvarez.


From Elizabeth to Lisbeth. Claire Foy who portrayed Her Majesty in the series, The Crown, comes to the well-known Lisbeth Salander (via such films as Breathe and First Man, as Neil Armstrong’s wife).

Millions read Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy. Millions saw the Swedish film trilogy. Unfortunately, the box office returns for the American version of The Girl in the Dragon Tattoo, with Rooney Mara, was not as financially successful as hoped and so there were no more American versions of the trilogy.

And Stieg Larsson died.

David Lagerkrantz has taken up the tradition and this film is based on his first Millennium novel. Readers who know the novel say that the film is substantially different. However, as the credits say, “based on characters created by Stieg Larsson�

So, once again, The Girl, Lisbeth Salander, the fierce righter of wrongs, black clothes, tattooed, piercings, taciturn, partnering women lovers, ultra-expert on technology, the Internet, hacking, is back. Noomi Rapace play Lisbeth Salander three times, a threatening figure, not engaging in any likeable way. Rooney Mara was more attractive even though ruthless. Claire Foy is also ruthless but not always all-conquering, suffering, a touch waif-like in her appearance, even tearful at the end.

The prologue to the film takes us back to Lisbeth’s origins, her father who later became involved in international intrigue, her blonde sister, Camilla, the children playing a game of chess, the father, a womaniser, summoning Camilla to his bedroom, Lisbeth opting out, falling backwards from a balcony and escaping through the snow. A quick establishing of her character. Then, suddenly, much older, she is threatening a businessman brutalising his wife, hanging him up by his feet, using her taser, rearranging his bank account, especially to benefit his wife.

So, we have been put back in the vein. The main part of the plot is technologically focused, an expert (Stephen Merchant) has given his files about world sites for nuclear warheads to the Americans but commissions Lisbeth to get them back. She does, but it is immediately stolen from her by a gang of thugs, led by The Spider. Her friend, writer Michael Blomqvist (Sverrir Gunadson from Iceland) comes back to work, his magazine taken over, but friends urging him to write. He does some investigations into The Spider gang.

A lot of action, including some car chases, some brutal killings, the scientist’s autistic son being held to ransom, an American IT expert (Lakeith Stanfield) is after the missing file, is fobbed off by Swedish authorities, explores on his own initiative, teaming up with Lisbeth and her nerdish expert.

Perhaps this film could be more likened to a James Bond action rather than to a complex Stieg Larsson thriller, a lot of weaponry, a lot of technology, and the audience hoping, perhaps, that this is all very far-fetched.

But, there is also the personal story, going back to that chess game with the little girls, Lisbeth sister’s choice of her father – and deadly consequences.

The film ends in a burning conflagration and Lisbeth riding off on her motorbike – to (if the box office is financially successful) another episode attaching


1. The popularity of the novels? The films? The world of Lisbeth Salander?

2. The new writer, the continuity, audience familiarity with the characters and mood?

3. The European perspective on sensibility? The Swedish settings?

4. Stockholm, the city, the city becoming a character? The forests outside? The mountains and the highways? The musical score?

5. Lisbeth as a character, the prologue and the chess game with her sister, winning, seeing the tattooed woman with her father, the father summoning Camilla, Lisbeth and her resentment towards her father, her sister’s choice, falling from the balcony, escaping through the snow? Leaving her sister with her father? The abuse?

6. The introduction to Michael Blomqvist, the past ownership of Millennium, the new owner, his being urged to write? Lisbeth contacting him? The image of the spider tattoo, his investigations, going to the tattooist, getting the information, the warnings?

7. The international situation, Balder and his files, the sites of the nuclear weapons? Giving the file to the United States? Changing his mind, asking Lisbeth to recover it, her success, but it immediately being stolen by The Spider and the thugs?

8. The background of Salander, international dealings, bad reputation, considered a psychopath? Camilla working with her father, considered also psychopathic? Her dressing in red? The membership of The Spider Gang, the leader, his mask, violence and sinister?

9. The technological background, Lisbeth and her skills, hacking? Surveillance? The files, encoded, passwords and questions? The scientists, his being captured, with his son? The autistic son and his mathematical skills? The murder of his father?

10. The United States, Needham, the alert when the file was being stolen? His being able to pinpoint Stockholm? His deciding to visit, the authorities and their refusal to acknowledge his presence, the warnings, his investigations, making the links with Lisbeth and with her expert in his studio?

11. The background to Lisbeth, her sexual relationships? Seeing her action with the abusive husband, his brutality, the battered wife, trapping him, his hanging, the taser? Her being a righter of wrongs? A reputation?

12. The Spider, the attack, the car, pursuit crashes? Lisbeth on the bridge, raising the bridge, the confrontation and escape?Seeing Camilla in red?

13. August, his being taken by the gang, his father, his father being shot?

14. August, the information, playing chess with Lisbeth, his skills, revealing the mathematical answers to the questions? The code?

15. Lisbeth wanting Needham to take August back to San Francisco? The intervention of the authorities? Needham at the airport, passport control, the official bringing the bag, the phone? The confrontation with the Lisbeth, his choice? Going to headquarters, meeting the geeky expert?

16. The buildup to the confrontation between Camilla and Lisbeth, seeing her in red on the bridge? Her role with The Spider? The government official and betrayal, death?

17. Needham and the expert, the technology, setting up the gun, the targets, focusing on them, shooting? The leader and the escape in the car, the crash? Camilla on foot, pursued by Lisbeth? Lisbeth being tied up, suffocated, getting free?

18. The confrontation between the two sisters, the talking about their father, Camilla feeling abandoned by Lisbeth, Lisbeth not rescuing her? Lisbeth making the point about choices? Camilla killing herself?

19. The rescue of the boy, return to his mother? Needham discovering the file had been raised? Lisbeth going to the house, setting it alight, the conflagration? On her motorbike riding away?