The Girl in the Spider's Web (2018)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A vigilante hacker must navigate a web of conspiracy and corporate espionage to stop a dangerous program from falling into the wrong hands.
The story
After a childhood of abuse, Lisbeth Salander is a vigilante hacker who is hired by a desperate programmer, Frans Balder, to retrieve 'Firefall,' a dangerous program capable of accessing nuclear codes. When the program is stolen by a mysterious organization known as the Spiders, Lisbeth must navigate a dangerous landscape of mercenaries and government agents. She soon discovers that the organization is led by her own estranged sister, Camilla, who has orchestrated a massive conspiracy for world dominance. Lisbeth must now race against time to protect the only person who can unlock the code while uncovering the truth about her past and the true nature of the Spiders' reach.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Lisbeth Salander, a hacker who survived a traumatic childhood, is hired by Frans Balder to retrieve 'Firefall,' a program that can access nuclear codes. After the program is stolen by mercenaries from the 'Spiders' syndicate, Lisbeth discovers the organization is led by her sister, Camilla. As she tries to protect Balder's son, August, she learns that only the boy can unlock the code. Amidst a series of betrayals involving government agents and her own past, Lisbeth eventually confronts Camilla at their childhood home. After a violent confrontation where several henchmen are eliminated, Lisbeth pursues Camilla to a cliff. Camilla, realizing the depth of their shared history, falls to her death. Lisbeth ultimately destroys the Firefall code and her childhood home, while the truth of the Spiders' web is left to be reported by the press.
- First release year
- 2018
- Runtime (minutes)
- 115
- Production countries
- Germany; Sweden; United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Fede Álvarez
- Writers
- Jay Basu · screenplay; Fede Álvarez · screenplay; Steven Knight · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Claire Foy · Lisbeth Salander; Sylvia Hoeks · Camilla Salander; Synnøve Macody Lund · Gabriella Grane; Sverrir Gudnason · Mikael Blomkvist; LaKeith Stanfield · Edwin Needham; Stephen Merchant · Frans Balder
- Genres
- action; thriller; crime
- Themes
- Survival; Family trauma; Conspiracy
- Tone and mood
- Action-packed; Dark
- Premise and plot tags
- Vigilante; Hacking; Cyber-thriller; Sisterhood
- Source material / true-story basis
- The 2015 novel by David Lagercrantz, based on characters from the Millennium book series by Stieg Larsson.
- Franchise connections
- Millennium / Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
- Content notes
- Violence; Sexual abuse
- Reception
- The film was a box office failure and received generally mixed reviews from critics, though the lead actress's performance was praised.
- Reported review scores
- CinemaScore · score: B · scale: A+ to F; PostTrak · score: 75% · scale: percentage
- Production trivia
- The film was a box office failure, grossing $35.2 million against a $43 million budget.; The film is a soft reboot and sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011).
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…