In Stockholm, Sweden, journalist Mikael Blomkvist, co-owner of Millennium magazine, has lost a libel case brought against him by businessman Hans-Erik Wennerström. Lisbeth Salander, a brilliant but troubled investigator and hacker, compiles an extensive background check on Mikael Blomkvist for business magnate Henrik Vanger, who has a special task for him. In exchange for the promise of damning information about Hans-Erik Wennerström, Mikael Blomkvist agrees to investigate the disappearance and assumed murder of Henrik Vanger’s grandniece, Harriet, 40 years ago. After moving to the Vanger family’s compound, Mikael Blomkvist uncovers a notebook containing a list of names and numbers that no one has been able to decipher.
Lisbeth Salander, who is under state legal guardianship due to diagnosed mental incompetency, is appointed a new guardian, lawyer Nils Bjurman, after her previous guardian Holger Palmgren suffers a stroke. Nils Bjurman, a sexual sadist, abuses his authority to extort sexual favors from Lisbeth Salander and violently rapes her, not realizing she has a hidden video camera on her bag. At their next meeting she stuns him with a stun gun, rapes him with a dildo, and marks him as a rapist with a tattoo on his chest and stomach. Threatening to disclose the video recording, she blackmails him into writing a glowing progress report and granting her full control of her money.
Mikael Blomkvist’s daughter Pernilla visits him and notes that the numbers from the notebook are Bible references. Mikael Blomkvist tells Henrik Vanger’s lawyer, Dirch Frode, that he needs help with his research, and Dirch Frode recommends Lisbeth Salander based on the work she did researching Mikael Blomkvist himself. Mikael Blomkvist hires Lisbeth Salander to investigate the notebook’s content. She uncovers a connection to a series of murders of young women from 1947 through 1967, with the women either being Jewish or having Biblical names; many of the Vangers are known antisemites. During the investigation, Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist become lovers. Henrik Vanger’s openly national socialist brother Harald identifies Martin , Harriet’s brother and operational head of the Vanger empire, and Mikael Blomkvist marks Martin as a possible suspect. Lisbeth Salander’s research uncovers evidence that Martin and his deceased father, Gottfried, committed the murders.
Mikael Blomkvist breaks into Martin’s house to look for more clues, but Martin catches him and prepares to kill him. While torturing Mikael Blomkvist, Martin brags of having killed women for decades but denies killing Harriet. Lisbeth Salander arrives, subdues Martin and saves Mikael Blomkvist. While Lisbeth Salander tends to Mikael Blomkvist, Martin flees. Lisbeth Salander, on her motorcycle, pursues Martin in his SUV. He loses control of his vehicle on an icy road and dies when it catches fire. Lisbeth Salander nurses Mikael Blomkvist back to health and tells him that she tried to kill her father when she was 12. Mikael Blomkvist deduces that Harriet is still alive and her cousin Anita probably knows where she is. He and Lisbeth Salander monitor Anita, waiting for her to contact Harriet. When nothing happens, Mikael Blomkvist confronts her, deducing that the woman posing as Anita is Harriet herself. She explains that her father and brother had sexually abused her for years, and that Martin saw her kill their father in self-defense. Her cousin Anita smuggled her out of the island and let her live under her identity. Finally free of her brother, she returns to Sweden and tearfully reunites with Henrik Vanger.
As promised, Henrik Vanger gives Mikael Blomkvist the information on Hans-Erik Wennerström, but it proves worthless. Lisbeth Salander hacks into Hans-Erik Wennerström’s computer and presents Mikael Blomkvist with evidence of Hans-Erik Wennerström’s crimes. Mikael Blomkvist publishes an article that ruins Hans-Erik Wennerström, who flees the country. Lisbeth Salander hacks into Hans-Erik Wennerström’s bank accounts and, travelling to Switzerland in disguise, transfers two billion euros to various accounts. Hans-Erik Wennerström is found murdered. SLisbeth alander reveals to her former guardian Holger Palmgren that she is in love with Mikael Blomkvist. On her way to give Mikael Blomkvist a Christmas present, Lisbeth Salander sees him with his longtime lover and business partner Erika Berger. Heartbroken, she discards the gift and rides away.
Cast :
- Daniel Craig as Mikael Blomkvist
- Ulf Friberg as Hans-Erik Wennerström
- Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander
- Christopher Plummer as Henrik Vanger
- Yorick van Wageningen as Nils Bjurman
- Josefin Asplund as Pernilla
- Steven Berkoff as Dirch Frode
- Stellan Skarsgård as Martin
- Joely Richardson as Anita
- Robin Wright as Erika Berger
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