Se7en (Seven)

Category

Mystery

Director

David Fincher

Cast

  • Brad Pitt
  • Morgan Freeman
  • Gwyneth Paltrow
  • Kevin Spacey
  • R. Lee Ermey

Release Date

22 September 1995

Synopsis

"Seven deadly sins. Seven ways to die." David Fincher creates a spin to the religious theme as he shows to us in grotesque gore, retribution in the hands of an eerily virtuous yet manic killer. When Hollywood greats Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, and the uncredited Kevin Spacey breathe life into the characters of this modern-day interpretation of the Bible teaching, Se7en can only be a hit crime mystery that will raise the hairs on your neck and shock you with a story so dark it makes you want to shut your eyes.

Morgan is the retirement-bound William Somerset, a cool, calm, analytical detective who's showing the ropes to his replacement, the young, brash, hot-headed David Mills played by Pitt. The two clash at the start, but as they become witness to such vile yet mysterious murders, they agree to embark on a week-long investigation of the seemingly related crimes, following the theme of the seven deadly sins. Each execution is genius -- it's calculated, graphic, and vomit-inducing. No doubt, they are on the trail of the vicious killer known to them as John Doe. And as the list of sins nears its end, the two detectives come face to face with the madman who has a final sick surprise for the two, accompanied with his last attempt at trying to convince the skeptics that his work was mandated by God.

Seven is brilliant, with its literary allusions: lines from and references to Shakespeare, Milton, Hemingway, Aquinas, and Dante are thrown here and there, its symbolic and chilling imagery, and its figurative dialogue, all wrapped up nicely in a fast-paced murder investigation, thrilling and sickening at the same time. And there's no need to worry about the movie being too preachy to be enjoyed -- there's an appropriate dose of action, wit, humor, and, yes even cursing and sarcasm. The characters make awe-inspiring remarks and musings, which are pretty insightful for your average murder mystery. But don't forget that Seven stands out among the rest, straying from the typical gangs-guns-drugs formula. It's no wonder that this David Fincher project has been praised, awarded and nominated many times over.

Trailer