The Girl in the Spider's Web review: Bold but flawed reboot turns Lisbeth Salander into a superhero

Like a (much) darker Spider-Man, Lisbeth Salander has undergone some major changes since she first hit the big screen in 2009.

Based on Stieg Larsson's celebrated novels, the original Swedish trilogy launched Noomi Rapace into global stardom as she took on the tricky role of the brilliant computer hacker. It was little surprise that Hollywood took notice and David Fincher was hired to do an English-language remake of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in 2011.

There, Rooney Mara took on the crucial central role of Salander and acquitted herself well, but the movie didn't quite make enough at the box office. So, instead of Fincher turning his attention to adapting the two sequels, Sony decided to go the soft reboot route and start the search for the third Salander in less than a decade.

After Alicia Vikander was said to be the frontrunner, it was confirmed that producers had gone for the unexpected choice of The Crown's Claire Foy. It has turned out to be an excellent decision, but the smartest one was choosing to adapt fourth Salander novel The Girl in the Spider's Web, instead of the obvious sequel.

There's a freshness to The Girl in the Spider's Web that Fincher's remake couldn't quite manage and, anchored by Foy's captivating performance, the movie overcomes some notable flaws to suggest there's plenty of promise in this take on Salander.

In case you're a newcomer to Larsson's murky world, the movie outlines quickly what Salander is about as she exacts her unique brand of vengeance on a CEO who is abusive towards his wife, helpfully utilising some nifty hacking skills and an incriminating video.

Soon, she's contacted by former NSA employee Frans Balder (Stephen Merchant) to use her particular set of skills to steal Project Firefall from the Americans. Balder is worried that his project – that gives its user the power to control all the nuclear weapons in the world because that's a great idea – is in the wrong hands and he wants to get rid of it.

But this only puts Salander in the crossfires of a mysterious and dangerous society who want the programme for themselves, as well as determined NSA agent Edwin Needham (Lakeith Stanfield) who Salander has royally pissed off. Along with the help of trusted journalist and ally Mikael Blomkvist (Sverrir Gudnason), Salander must confront her past in order to survive the web she's been drawn into.

If that sounds a bit James Bond to you, then you'll end up feeling the same way about the movie, too, especially once it delivers its very Bondian opening credits sequence. Salander is not so much an avenging angel in the movie as she is a spy out to save the world, aided by some genius hacking skills. Arguably, there's a bit of psychic ability thrown into the mix too as she always seems to be one step ahead of just about everybody, able to predict their next move instantly.

For want of a better term, Salander has become a superhero and that does rob the movie of much of its tension. As muscular as the action set pieces are, there's never really a sense of peril, even when Salander is running away from a bomb just metres away from her. However, if you suspend your disbelief, there's fun to be had, especially in an utterly ludicrous airport escape as Salander outwits an entire police force.

It's perhaps not a surprise that the story isn't the movie's strongest point, given that the novel – the first written by David Lagercrantz following Larsson's death – never reached the heights of Larsson's trilogy. The plot has been significantly streamlined here, transforming it from a mystery to a thriller. It's largely successful as even book readers won't know every twist, while newcomers won't feel that they've missed out on any notable plot points.

There are some hints that some additional cutting has been done, though, such as in an abandoned subplot that sees Salander framed for murder. What's also not successful is the reveal that Salander's sister Camilla isn't quite as dead as she thought she was. It's played like a big twist, even though it's already been spoiled in the trailers. It does manage to add an emotional depth to the movie's climax, a connection that is lacking elsewhere as Salander isn't the most open of characters.

Fortunately, Foy's committed and impressively physical performance carries the movie through its lulls. It's very much the Salander show with the majority of the cast given relatively little to do, especially when it comes to the previously major role of Blomqvist. Outside of Foy, only Blade Runner 2049's Sylvia Hoeks gets a chance to really make an impact with a creepy, yet sympathetic, turn as Camilla.

Director Fede Alvarez made his name with the Evil Dead remake and acclaimed horror Don't Breathe and if he can't quite deliver the blockbuster thrills, he does thrive within the movie's darker recesses. The movie looks beautiful and stark, an effective contrast to the murkier depths of the plot and Alvarez doesn't hold back when it's called for. It's not as relentlessly grim as Dragon Tattoo though, meaning it could appeal to a wider audience.

Sony is currently developing the sequel novel to Spider's Web, The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye, but we'll have to wait until the box office returns to see if it goes ahead. Having escaped the potentially tangled web of rebooting Salander in tact, we certainly hope that Foy gets another outing as Larsson's iconic hero.

Director: Fede Alvarez; Starring: Claire Foy, Sverrir Gudnason, Lakeith Stanfield, Sylvia Hoeks, Stephen Merchant, Claes Bang, Vicki Krieps; Running time: 115 minutes; Certificate: 15

The Girl in the Spider's Web is in cinemas now.

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Ian Sandwell

Movies Editor, Digital Spy  Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor.  Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world.   After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.