The Girl in the Spider's Web (2018)

What makes The Girl in the Spider’s Web worth your time is the way it turns Lisbeth Salander into a sleek, modern action icon without sanding down her edge—Claire Foy plays her with a flinty intensity that’s both convincing and quietly magnetic. Director Fede Álvarez brings a propulsive, high-gloss thriller vibe: cold streets, hot pursuits, and a constant sense that the next keystroke could light the fuse. It’s less a slow-burn mystery and more a forward-driving crime machine, packed with impressive set pieces and cyber-intrigue that feels urgent rather than nerdy. If you’re hoping for the brooding, novelistic sprawl of earlier entries, this one may feel more streamlined—but if you want a satisfying, stylish jolt of action-thriller energy, it delivers.

The Girl in the Spider’s Web wants to reboot Lisbeth Salander into a slick, globe-trotting cyber-thriller with bigger stakes and louder set pieces. The problem is it often feels like a generic action movie wearing a prestige franchise’s clothes: the plot is undercooked, the intrigue isn’t as sharp as it thinks it is, and Lisbeth’s complexity gets flattened into “cool, competent assassin-hacker.” Claire Foy works hard, but the script gives her more poses than personality, and Blomkvist is left feeling like an accessory rather than a partner. If you’re here for the cold, unsettling character study and investigative grit of earlier entries, this one may disappoint—though if you just want a brisk, stylish thriller with a few tense moments, it’s passable.