The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (2009) - 9 stars out of 10

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (2009) - 9 stars out of 10

"The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" backs away from the action sequences possessed in the first two installments of this series and moves toward a psychological, courtroom drama.  It creates intensity through the stress exemplified in the actors' voices as they deliver this intelligently written dialogue.  From the onset of the film, I was struck by Georgi Staykov's incredible make-up.  As the movie progresses, the story permeates deeper as more layers are unraveled in this thriller and Lisbeth continues her progression from antagonist to victim in our eyes.  The organization of the courtroom scene is excellent, interjecting the evidence at exactly the right times, culminating in a Godfather-esque sequence as all of the key players are brought down.  The story gets neatly wrapped up... and then the realization occurs that one issue has not been resolved.  Finally, everything comes full circle in the penultimate scene as the I-iii chord progression from the opening credits of the first film return with Lisbeth still unable to properly express her emotions.  The characters complete an incredible journey throughout these films and, if at all possible, I strongly recommend watching the entire trilogy over three nights, or even in one day.  The second and third films in particular are essentially one long movie and it's worthwhile to experience the transformed perspective of Lisbeth over a short timespan.