Special Review
This review was requested by Discord user Local Cryptid. If you'd like to join the server, click the button below. Visit DiscordWhile trying to make it as a screenwriter, Andrew Kevin Walker was living in New York City and hated it. Through his experiences, he was able to write a screenplay that he sold to New Line Cinema in 1991. Originally, Christmas Vacation director Jeremiah S. Chechik was hired, but he backed out due to disagreements over Walker’s script. Around this time, up-and-coming filmmaker David Fincher was considering leaving the industry after the disastrous production of Alien³. One day, Fincher was accidentally sent the original version of Walker’s script, and he took an interest in the project. Denzel Washington, Sylvester Stallone, Robert Duvall, Gene Hackman, and Christina Applegate were approached to star, but they rejected the offers. Eventually, Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, and Gwyneth Paltrow were cast, Pitt even standing up for Fincher in disagreements with producers. In September of 1995, Fincher’s Se7en was released to an unsuspecting audience.
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Synopsis
Detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman) is set to retire and is partnered with his replacement Detective Mills (Brad Pitt). Their first investigation is the murder of a morbidly obese man who was force-fed until his stomach burst. Later, they investigate the murder of an attorney who bled to death after cutting a pound of flesh from himself. While discussing the case with their Captain (R. Lee Ermey), Somerset concludes that the murders represent the Seven Deadly Sins. Mills’ wife Tracey (Gwyneth Paltrow) confides in Somerset how she hates the city and is pregnant, but Mills doesn’t know. As more and more murders start happening, Somerset and Mills are tricked into investigating various false leads. Eventually, the killer, known only as John Doe (Kevin Spacey), turns himself in and is willing to confess his crimes. Unbeknownst to Somerset and Mills, Doe has something big planned for them that’ll change their lives forever.
Review
Se7en is an effectively haunting and, at times, disturbing psychological thriller that leaves you on edge of your seat. Given that he was contemplating leaving the industry after Alien³, it’s great that David Fincher bounced back with this. Here, he got to stretch his creative muscles more and make the type of film he wanted without interference. The film has a very gritty and down-and-dirty style that makes it feel real and emphasizes the grislier scenes. Having much of the film take place in the rain adds to the dark, dreary, and somber tone. The cast is terrific, with Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman making for a solid duo that plays off each other. Pitt excels as a young cop who sees the world in black-and-white, while Freeman shines as an older open-minded detective. Their clashing ideologies make for a great pairing and they have some great back-and-forths.
While she isn’t given much to do, Gwyneth Paltrow has her moments, particularly her scene with Freeman in a diner. There are also some great appearances from character actors R. Lee Ermey, Richard Roundtree, and John C. McGinley. Each of the murder set-pieces is effectively disturbing and grisly but not so gory that they seem ludicrous. The most memorable set-piece is the sloth victim, which has one of the most effective jump scares ever filmed. While there are plenty of slower scenes, it never feels like filler and it’s held together by the strong cast. There are plenty of twists and turns that keep you guessing but never feel needlessly convoluted like many great thrillers. It all builds to an ending that, while bleak, perfectly fits the overall tone and leaves it to your imagination. Overall, Se7en stands as one of the greatest films of the early to mid-1990s.
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