Review: Se7en (1995)

'This isn't going to have a happy ending.'

★★★½

In the metropolis, it rains practically all the time. The seasoned investigator Somerset is dressed in a raincoat and hat. The child who was recently moved to the district, Mills, strolls in the rain bareheaded, acting as though he will always be youthful. They look into the death of a corpulent guy they discover face-down in a spaghetti dish on their first day of dating. When they return to the site, the beams from their flashlights pick out a shelf stacked high with cans of Campbell's tomato sauce among other things in the filthy flat. That's not even enough tomato sauce to buy for a fat man.

Se7en (1995) is a psychological thriller that follows two detectives, William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) and David Mills (Brad Pitt), as they investigate a series of gruesome murders inspired by the seven deadly sins. The killer, John Doe (Kevin Spacey), meticulously crafts each crime to represent a specific sin, leaving behind clues that challenge the detectives both morally and intellectually. The investigation becomes increasingly personal, especially for Mills, whose wife, Tracy (Gwyneth Paltrow), plays a pivotal role in the film's shocking conclusion. As they close in on Doe, the story culminates in a devastating twist that tests their understanding of justice and morality.

What makes Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman's characters a great duo is their personalities. Morgan Freeman's character is a well-experienced, patient, detective, who follows the rules takes his time with investigations and always thinks before he acts. Brad Pitt's characters is much younger with a lot less experience and patience. He tends to do things without thinking about the consequences and isn't afraid to get a nasty attitude from anyone. He's a bit more brawn than brain, but that's only because of lack of experience. Freeman and Pitt's characters didn't want to work with each other at first, but when they realized they had no choice, they began to warm up to each other.

After "Alien 3" (1992), which he filmed while he was just 29 years old, David Fincher's second feature film was "Seven" (1995). Films like "Zodiac" (2007) and "The Social Network" (2010) were still to come. He favors a saturated color scheme, somber hues, and dimly lit interiors in his artwork. This movie is the darkest of all of his films. Similar to Spielberg, he emphasizes the surrounding gloom by infusing the air in his interiors with a thin, invisible powder that makes flashlight rays visible. I'm not sure why, but "Seven"'s interior lighting frequently seem faint or nonexistent. I recall a scene from Murnau's 1926 film "Faust" where Satan was engulfing a small village below in a black robe. That is the sensation Fincher creates here.

John Doe (Kevin Spacey)'s character commits five murders, which all follow the seven deadly sins, which is fitting and smart because that is the name of the film. It is quite possibly one of the best crime/thriller films. It has it all: fantastic actors, narrative, and atmosphere. A gripping and gratifying viewing experience from beginning to end, with a resolution that will stay with you forever. At its best, a thriller that belongs in every collection.