Serial killer movie where cat gets murdered on doorstep? [closed]

Question

I'm looking for the title of a Thriller/Horror film where there is a guy and his cat that moves to an estate. I remember that it is winter. I think the guy is a writer. He starts unraveling a mystery about a girl that drowned. As he gets more and more clues the serial killer kills his cat and leaves it on the doorstep. Near the end of the film the guy ends up sneaking into the killer's house and takes a knife from the kitchen. The killer comes home, and notices the writer in his back yard. He invites him in to his house. Then he notices that the knife is missing and goes crazy. He brings him down to his lair (where he tortures his victims).

Any guesses?

Answer 1

This is the American remake of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

This scene was made as a warning to Mikael Blomkvist (the Writer you speak of) to stop investigating into the secrets of the island and the mystery of the girls disappearance with the help of Lisbeth Salander.