Every David Fincher Movie Ranked From Worst To Best

What a mixed bag this entry is, a remake of the 2009 Swedish film that just never figured out where its focus should be. The refusal to concentrate exclusively on the intriguing mystery at the centre of the story is a major misfire, and eventually undoes a lot of good work from the actors involved.

The film explores Investigator Mikael Blomkvist, who is hired to investigate a cold case involving a missing girl believed murdered 40 years earlier. Blomkvist (eventually) hires Lisbeth Salander, the girl with a dragon tattoo who has phenomenal investigation and hacking skills, but no social etiquette. Daniel Craig delivers a career best performance as Mikael, a brilliant three dimensional portrayal of the vulnerable man, that is as far removed from the role of Bond as possible. Mara is just as good as Lisbeth Salander, creating a rigid but stoic characterisation that is remarkably free of caricature despite Lisbeth's excesses.

Unfortunately Fincher's decision to focus on multiple story arcs means the film eventually becomes a convoluted mess. It takes half the film for Mikael and Lisbeth to team up, as we are forced to endure rape scenes and the general mistreatment of Lisbeth despite it not telling us anything Mara's characterisation hadn't already done. The reveal of the murderer is a let down, with a tacked on car chase to boot. The movie doesn't know when to end either, dragging on for an interminable extra thirty minutes to explore a subplot we didn't really care about.