Though Alvarez does punctuate the whole affair with some stylish action scenes, it’s hard to get lost in them when the backstory feels so thin. Fincher’s film managed to convey a stifling environment of constant danger for women, where every interaction was poisoned with hatred and fear. It’s a feeling we’ve grown to know only too well in years since, yet The Girl in the Spider’s Web appears to exist in a universe apart, where women are safe enough for Lisbeth Salander to go off and save the world instead. No mention is made of Lisbeth’s former life as a ward of the state fighting for emancipation, nor of her own violent sexual assault at the hands of her guardian. Ultimately, you’re left wondering why the action is happening in the first place. The same could be said for this sequel.