Really excellent Swedish thriller

Rating: 8/10 (9 January 2016)

Overall I prefer the English language version of this film directed by David Fincher, but this original Swedish version is excellent too.
Michael Nyqvist is very well cast as Mikael Blomkvist, the disgraced journalist trying to solve an obscure murder mystery. Noomi Rapace, meanwhile, is pretty good as the tattooed, socially inept but highly intelligent Lisbeth Salander - good, but nowhere near as good as Rooney Mara in the Fincher version.
The atmosphere created on the remote Swedish island is superb. It's the perfect setting for a murder mystery. There's a great contrast made between the aristocratic mansion of Henrik Vanger, the modern home of Martin Vanger, and the ramshackle cottage used by Blomkvist.
The story is the excellent plot from the book, and this film gives full rein to it, including the explicit sexual violence, the painstaking detective work, and the unusual relationship between Blomkvist and Salander.
It's a really good movie.