Save the Cat rankings

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO script analysis

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO script - Save the Cat beat sheet analysis

Mikael Blomkvist, disgraced journalist, is hired by aging industrialist Henrik Vanger to investigate the forty-year-old disappearance of his niece, Harriet. Alongside Lisbeth Salander, a brilliant but troubled investigator, they uncover family secrets, Biblical murder patterns, and systemic abuse. As they close in on the truth, both face personal crises before achieving justice and redemption.

80 Save the Cat fit score 78% analysis confidence / 172 parsed scenes

Save the Cat is referenced as a story-analysis framework. SlugDB is not affiliated with Save the Cat or its rights holders.

1

Opening Image

Scene 1 / Page 1 / 1% target

80%

A desolate snowy landscape and a distant ringing phone establish isolation and cold mystery.

2

Theme Stated

Scene 2 / Page 1 / 5% target

75%

Vanger’s remark hints at hidden darkness and the cost of truth within a family enshrouded by secrecy.

I don’t know. White.
3

Set-Up

Scenes 4-8 / Pages 1-10 / 10% target

82%

We meet Blomkvist’s fall from grace, his professional network, and Salander’s world, establishing protagonists’ skills and stakes.

4

Catalyst

Scene 17 / Pages 10-11 / 12% target

79%

Blomkvist receives the call from Frode offering the Vanger investigation, propelling him into the mystery.

He’d like to speak to you about a private matter.
5

Debate

Scenes 18-21 / Pages 11-15 / 20% target

77%

Blomkvist debates accepting the case, weighing personal risk versus professional redemption as he travels north.

6

Break into Two

Scenes 20-21 / Pages 15-16 / 25% target

83%

He officially enters the investigation when meeting Henrik at the Vanger estate and agreeing to solve Harriet’s disappearance.

7

B Story

Scenes 11-14 / Pages 7-9 / 30% target

76%

Salander’s subplot begins with her appointment to Frode and Palmgren’s injury, setting her personal arc in motion.

8

Fun and Games

Scenes 22-34 / Pages 16-40 / 40% target

80%

Blomkvist digs into case files, interviews family members, and Salander navigates her guardian’s abuse, showcasing investigation skills and dark tone.

9

Midpoint

Scenes 47-48 / Pages 42-43 / 50% target

81%

Salander is assaulted by Bjurman, an emotional low that raises personal stakes for revenge—true stakes and tone shift.

Have you ever had an STD?
10

Bad Guys Close In

Scenes 85-86 / Pages 65-66 / 65% target

79%

Blomkvist realizes Harriet was likely murdered and Salander blackmails Bjurman, both protagonists face intensifying threats.

This shows you sodomizing a mentally impaired girl. If it’s ever seen outside this room, who’ll be institutionalized...
11

All Is Lost

Scene 126 / Pages 95-96 / 75% target

75%

Blomkvist is trapped in Martin’s torture chamber, appearing defeated with no clear escape.

12

Dark Night of the Soul

Scenes 127-129 / Pages 96-100 / 80% target

77%

Harriet recounts her trauma in London; Blomkvist and Salander each question if justice or redemption is possible.

He dragged me back to the cabin ... All I’d accomplished was substitute one rapist for another.
13

Break into Three

Scenes 130-133 / Pages 100-104 / 85% target

80%

Armed with Harriet’s full story and Wennerstrom file, they refocus on resolution: exposing the killer and corrupt tycoon.

14

Finale

Scenes 134-169 / Pages 105-170 / 95% target

82%

Blomkvist and Salander expose Wennerstrom’s crimes, rescue Harriet, secure evidence, redistribute stolen funds, and achieve justice.

15

Final Image

Scene 172 / Page 172 / 99% target

78%

Salander watches Blomkvist leave with Erika, underscoring her solitude transformed by regained agency.