--- title: "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo-2009/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo-2009" critics_score: 73 critics_reviews: 14 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009): what the critics said Critics' score 73 from 14 reviews: 9 positive, 4 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics find The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo a compelling, unsettling thriller, with praise clustering around Noomi Rapace’s performance as Lisbeth Salander. Her anger, resourcefulness and vulnerability impress even reviewers less persuaded by the detective story. The lead performances and their chemistry draw wider approval, while several reviews value the bleak atmosphere and the adaptation’s retention of the novel’s Scandinavian detail. Supporters also praise its pacing and examination of misogyny. The reservations concern familiar detective conventions, length and the handling of violence against women, with a wide gap between enthusiastic support and outright rejection. Variety finds the whodunit more successful than the thriller, despite admiring Rapace. Paste welcomes the scrutiny of social prejudice but questions the depiction of violence against women. Slant Magazine offers the sharpest dissent, rejecting the film’s sensationalism, familiar visual tricks and increasingly melodramatic twists. Elsewhere, complaints about plot holes and a commonplace payoff temper otherwise favourable responses. ## Los Angeles Times — Betsy Sharkey Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 19 March 2010. Sharkey calls the film a mesmerizing, satisfying thriller that successfully adapts the novel despite substantial changes. She especially praises Noomi Rapace’s unforgettable performance as Lisbeth Salander. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-mar-19-la-et-dragon19-2010mar19-story.html) ## The AV Club — Tasha Robinson Rating A-. 18 March 2010. Robinson praises the film as a disturbing, emotionally effective adaptation that would be difficult to improve upon. She singles out Noomi Rapace’s fierce, vulnerable performance, while noting that some scenes veer into grotesquerie. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo-1798164552) ## The Hollywood Reporter — THR Staff Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 14 October 2010. The critic finds the adaptation compelling and emotionally powerful despite some familiar whodunit conventions. Noomi Rapace’s performance is singled out for praise, bringing Lisbeth’s anger and complexity vividly to life. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/girl-dragon-tattoo-film-review-29378/) ## Empire — Kim Newman Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 24 February 2010. The review finds the thriller satisfying and strongly recommends it as the start of a franchise. It especially praises Noomi Rapace’s intense, resourceful portrayal of Lisbeth Salander. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/girl-dragon-tattoo-review/) ## Radio Times — Terry Staunton Rating 4/5. The critic calls it a dark-hearted, twist-filled adaptation that stays faithful to the source novel. They praise its preservation of the book’s bleak, murky atmosphere. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-wsr6gz/the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo/) ## Time Out Rating 4/5. 15 March 2010. The review is positive, awarding the film four out of five stars. Its visible description singles out an actor’s emergence as a major talent, though the article text is unavailable. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo-1) ## The Guardian — Philip French Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 14 March 2010. Philip French finds the adaptation successful and first-rate, preserving the novel’s distinctive Scandinavian details. He praises the appealing lead performances and Eric Kress’s photography, though he finds the eventual payoff commonplace. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/mar/14/girl-with-dragon-tattoo-film-review) ## Variety — Boyd van Hoeij Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 22 April 2009. The critic finds the film a disappointment as a thriller, though it works as a more-than-workmanlike whodunit. Noomi Rapace’s mesmerizing, contradictory performance as Lisbeth Salander is singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2009/film/reviews/the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo-2-1200474451/) ## Slant Magazine — Ed Gonzalez Rating 1/4. 15 March 2010. Gonzalez dismisses the film as lurid, sensationalist trash. He faults its reliance on familiar visual tricks and escalating soap-operatic twists. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo/) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 23 February 2010. Kermode calls the film a compelling, bold, distinctive work of cinema. She praises its atmospheric visual style and the compelling performance by Noomi Rapace, while highlighting its forceful examination of misogyny. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/millennium-the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) ## The Skinny — Gail Tolley Rating ★★★★. 7 March 2010. The review calls the film an exhilarating ride with clear appeal beyond the books’ existing fans. It praises the film’s pacing, gripping narrative and intelligent construction despite its lengthy runtime. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/cineskinny/the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo) ## Paste — Paste Staff Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 18 March 2010. The review finds the adaptation refreshing despite some lingering detective-film clichés. It praises its exposure of social misogyny and racism, while criticizing its depictions of violence against women. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo/post-86) ## Den of Geek — Rupert de Rating 3/5. 8 March 2010. The critic finds it engaging but overlong and overly conventional, with serious plot holes. He praises the dynamic between the leads, especially Noomi Rapace’s portrayal of Lisbeth. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo-review-2/) ## Digital Spy — Ben Rawson-Jones Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 8 March 2010. The critic finds the film flawed and overlong, but engaging enough to sustain interest in the trilogy. The performances and chemistry of the leads, alongside the characters’ compelling portrayal, are singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a204226/the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo-2009.md