“Ernest Hemingway once wrote, “The world is a fine place and worth fighting for.” I agree with the second part.”- Morgan Freeman as William Somerset
Bottom line: “Seven” turns 20 next year, and its shocking brutality, powerful acting and ghastly finale easily stands the test of time.
Director David Fincher follows his questionable “Alien 3” release in 1992 with one of the darkest crime thrillers to come out of Hollywood. Before Morgan Freeman was in a movie every weekend, he had many underrated performances, and his superb character in “Seven” comfortably makes the list of undervalued Freeman appearances.
The story isn’t original, but Freeman’s acting, Fincher’s vision and Brad Pitt’s support help us forget about the gimmicky plot. Attention all viewers with queasy stomachs: most thrillers aim to entertain, but “Seven” has more appalling intentions.
Opinion aside, “Seven” was one of the 90s most dominant box-office successes, which is surprising for a movie with such a dark tone. Fincher casts a shadow over a major city landscape, where Det. William Somerset (Freeman) is one week away from a much-needed retirement.
Before Somerset’s permanent vacation begins, he’s paired with hotshot David Mills (Pitt) to tackle one last case. Mills moved to the city for more important cases, but before he takes Somerset’s place at the end of the week, he has to shadow an urban veteran. The first case for Mills and the last of Somerset’s is more than either of the detectives bargained for, as a serial killer is staging exceptionally heinous murders.
This vicious villain uses the seven deadly sins to get his malicious point across. Each murder is staged to represent one of the deadly sins, including an obese man who was forced to eat himself to death (gluttony), and a defense lawyer paid for his greed with a pound of flesh.
Realizing there are five more gruesome murders waiting for him, Somerset tries to get out of the case, but the detective in him can’t let it go without a fight. Somerset eventually pairs with Mills to see this case out, all the way to its inconceivable conclusion.
What begins as the average detective thriller, “Seven” takes it to the next level, evoking mythological and symbolic themes. Though the film lacks depth, it still arranges the illusion of a profound motif.
Since “Seven,” we have seen how Fincher utilizes saturated settings, darker color schemes and dim interiors in “Zodiac” (2007) and “The Social Network” (2010), but “Seven” is still his darkest and arguably his most engrossing piece.
Fun fact: Denzel Washington turned down the part that went to Brad Pitt, telling Entertainment Weekly that the film was too “dark and evil.” Washington later regretted his decision upon seeing a screening.
Run time: 127 min.
MPAA rating: R
Rotten Tomatoes: 79 percent
24 Miles 