The Girl Who Played with Fire (2009)

The Girl Who Played with Fire (2009) is a Swedish-Danish-German crime thriller film directed by Daniel Alfredson and based on the novel of the same name by Swedish writer Stieg Larsson. It serves as a sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009) and follows Lisbeth Salander, who returns to Sweden after a year abroad. She reconnects with her ex-girlfriend Miriam Wu and allows her to stay in her old apartment. Later, Salander confronts her former abusive guardian Nils Bjurman after hacking into his email. She discovers that he has made an appointment with a tattoo removal specialist and warns him at gunpoint not to remove the tattoo she had etched on him, revealing him as a rapist. Before embarking on their holiday, Dag and Mia request Blomkvist to visit his apartment to retrieve some photos. In addition, they ask him to investigate a person known as ‘Zala’, who may have some relevance to his upcoming article.

Unfortunately, upon arriving at the apartment, Blomkvist discovers that Dag and Mia have been killed. The gun used in the crime leads Blomkvist to Bjurman, who has also met his demise. Salander becomes the prime suspect due to her fingerprints being found on the weapon. Although she is initially resistant to his assistance, Salander eventually confides in Blomkvist, claiming her innocence and urging him to help locate ‘Zala’. Paolo Roberto, Salander’s boxing coach and friend, contacts Blomkvist with information regarding Miriam’s abduction by a known criminal involved in human trafficking named Ronald Niedermann. Roberto advises Blomkvist to reach out to Miriam for further clues. Near Miriam’s residence, Roberto witnesses her being taken captive by Niedermann and follows them to a deserted barn where he overhears Niedermann torturing Miriam for information about Salander.