Parents' Guide to

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (2010)

By Renee Longstreet, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Finale of dark, subtitled Swedish trilogy is very violent.

Movie R 2010 147 minutes
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (2010) Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 16+

Based on 3 parent reviews

sweet_lily_850
sweet_lily_850 Adult
February 28, 2016
age 13+

Book Review

Jonasson was a brilliant doctor he always helped his patients either if it's hard or an easy job. This patient was different, because this patient was a murder, it was Lisbeth Salander. She killed 3 innocent people but one day she got shoot with a bullet in her head and skull. Jonasson wasn't a brain surgeon so he asked some help from his friend, Frank. Only his friend knew what to do, it was a bit difficult to get him to help the poor patient even if she did murdered some people. For one thing people didn't know about her was that she has been abused more than any other person in the world. There is a lot of violence in this novel, about her trying to suffer in all of this even if it means ending her life, dying. She's trying to get revenge on a guy who is trying to kill her, the doctors are afraid that once they get the bullet out, she'll start murdering more people, get revenge, have to go to a trial, and destroying her life for good. If Jonasson doesn't get the bullet out soon she might even suffer through pain and die. She's conscious now but didn't completely forgot everything. Soon she gets her memory back there's no idea what she could do next.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
crapples
crapples Parent of 8, 11, 14 and 16-year-old
February 26, 2011
age 17+
gz

This title has:

Too much sex
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

The final installment in the movies based on Swedish author Stieg Larsson's best-selling Millenium trilogy -- which also includes The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played with Fire -- picks up the story of Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) after she's violently attacked by her father. While recovering in a Swedish hospital and then while on trial for attempted murder, Lisbeth and journalist Mikael Blomqvist (Michael Nyqvist) finally unravel the government conspiracy that sent Lisbeth to a mental institution at age 12. To solve the many crimes perpetrated on the innocent young girl, Lisbeth and Mikael confront murder, sexual deviance, revenge, and a massive government cover-up. Mikael risks his own life and the lives of the staff of his magazine to save Lisbeth from further injustice. And when the hunt resumes for the giant blond killer who carried out many of the conspiracy's villainous tasks, Lisbeth may be the only person who can stop him.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3):
Kids say (4):

It's dark, violent, and deals with corruption, murder, and sexual perversion. If all that -- plus reading English subtitles -- doesn't deter an audience, THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST will thrill lovers of well-produced, inventive, and highly original crime stories. Top-notch performances all around (from the creepiest of villains to the most unconventional of heroines) blend with skilled direction, gritty sets, and suspenseful action sequences to bring an artfully horrific story to its satisfying conclusion.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about explicit violence in films. How much is necessary to show the incredible evil of the villain, or the hero's prowess and courage? When does it cross the line and become exploitative?

  • Lisbeth Salander is a defiant young woman. Why do you think she chose to appear in court looking as she did? What do some people hope to achieve by shocking the world around them?

  • Does seeing this film make you question your initial response to people who look different from you? Can you think of some instances in which you've been surprised by how wrong your first impression was?

  • The role of the media, specifically the press, is an important part of this story. The author of the book it's based on, Stieg Larsson, was a reporter who wrote about controversial issues. How could you find out more about Larsson and how his real life work related to the story he chose to tell?

Movie Details

  • In theaters: October 29, 2010
  • On DVD or streaming: January 25, 2011
  • Cast: Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace
  • Director: Daniel Alfredson
  • Studio: Yellow Bird
  • Genre: Thriller
  • Run time: 147 minutes
  • MPAA rating: R
  • MPAA explanation: strong violence, some sexual material, and brief language
  • Last updated: April 27, 2023

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