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Your head may still be spinning from trying to keep track of the twists and turns (and the massive cast of creepy old men) in The Girl Who Played with Fire, the complex second installment in the Millennium Trilogy, but it’s time to reread the synopsis online and pull out your trilogy cheat sheets—because The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest is another wild and complicated ride.
In the trilogy’s conclusion, Noomi Rapace returns as Lisbeth Salander, the hardened hacker with a troubled past. Like The Girl Who Played with Fire, though, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest doesn’t spend much time recapping previous installments. Instead, it dives right into the story, ultimately leaving most viewers scrambling to keep up.
Lisbeth spends much of the film in the hospital, recovering from the surgery that removed a bullet from her head. Once she recovers, though, she’ll be taken into custody and put on trial for the attempted murder of her father, Alexander Zalachenko (Georgi Staykov).
Meanwhile, back at the Millennium offices, Mikael Blomqvist (Michael Nyqvist) and his colleagues are working to uncover more of Lisbeth’s past for a full issue dedicated to her story. And while a clandestine agency known as The Section scrambles to cover up the story—and, preferably, silence Lisbeth forever—Blomqvist begins helping Monica Figuerola (Mirja Turestedt) of Constitutional Defense with her investigation of those involved.
Like its precursor in the series, Hornet’s Nest is another complicated collection of creepy characters and elaborate conspiracies. So unless you’re watching the entire trilogy back-to-back (and perhaps even if you are), you’re almost guaranteed to feel completely lost at some point in the film. It’s often difficult to tell the creepy old guys apart—and it’s even trickier to try to remember how they’re all connected to the story (and to each other).
But while many details in the story could have used a little more clarification and a little less confusion (a flaw that I hope will be fixed for the Hollywood remakes), the film still makes for a grippingly suspenseful conclusion to a noteworthy series. This time around, the storytelling is smoother, relying less on TV news reports to propel the action. The pacing is more deliberate—and the action isn’t as shocking or as horrifying as before (especially in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)—but the vibe is still dark and gritty, complete with slowly-building suspense that makes the film a nail-biter.
Part of that suspense comes from Lisbeth herself. No matter how mind-bending the plot may get, Rapace will keep you engrossed in the story and her character. She remains silent for much of the film, quietly locked away in her hospital room while Blomqvist does the legwork. But you know the strong character who’s hiding beneath the surface—and you’ll eagerly await the moment when Lisbeth finally laces up her black platform boots and stands up for herself.
The Millennium Trilogy was never meant to be just a trilogy (since late author Stieg Larsson wrote outlines for 10 books), but Lisbeth’s story comes to a satisfying conclusion at the end of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest. And although the film is still much more complicated than necessary, it’s a captivating and suspenseful end to an unforgettable trilogy.
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