Directed by:
David FincherScreenplay:
Andrew Kevin WalkerCinematography:
Darius KhondjiComposer:
Howard ShoreCast:
Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Richard Roundtree, R. Lee Ermey, John C. McGinley, Kevin Spacey, Julie Araskog, Mark Boone Junior, John Cassini (more)Plots(1)
Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman star in a searing psychological thriller about two detectives on the trail of a vicious serial killer who chooses his victims according to the seven deadly sins. (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment)
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Reviews (12)
The best film in its (sub)genre. David Fincher's camera antics and his ability to depict a depressive atmosphere are exactly what the theme of an elusive brutal killer needs, and it is difficult to find any holes in the screenplay or technical errors. The only thing that bothered me was the occasional fake rain, which was visibly artificial in many places (i.e. raining within a five-meter radius). The acting is flawless. The pair of detectives was portrayed exemplarily, the experience of age versus the fierceness of youth. The only action scene is very gripping, and the coldly depicted city, along with the dark camera filters, beautifully enhance the gloomy atmosphere full of brutal murders, junkies, and decaying corpses. The twist is undeniably brilliant, and even though Kevin Spacey only appears for a few minutes, it is precisely him who delivers the best performance.
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An absolutely flawless psychological crime thriller, Se7en drives relentlessly toward an astonishing finale that stands as one of the most powerful moments in film history. Even after multiple viewings, it remains emotionally devastating, proving that knowing what’s coming doesn’t diminish its impact. The film has the uncanny ability to break you down and plant a lingering thought in your mind every time you watch it. I consider Se7en and 8MM to be the most depressing thrillers of the 90s, and it’s no coincidence that both were penned by Andrew Kevin Walker, the era's master of nihilism and despair.
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Alongside The Silence of the Lambs, this is the most powerful psycho-thriller ever. Seven is a gem of the genre in which every filmmaking component is stretched to the absolute limit, along with the viewer’s nerves, emotions and psyche. Darkness that will take your breath away and keep you up at night.
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Fincher is depressive again, in the way he only knows how. The murders are disgusting, especially the first one with the fat man is not very nice to see. The cops don't seem to know what a light switch is, so they keep shining their flashlights to make the most of the gloomy twilight. The perpetual rain doesn't help the mood, either, Scott knew that in Blade Runner. Depression alternates with depression and the interesting, gloomy screenplay plays into Fincher's hands, he is a master depression, we all know that. Add to this an irresistibly loathsome villain played by Spacey and a truly unusual ending for Hollywood and we get a clear five-star rating.
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I am going to be much soberer and in opposition to film fans on FilmBooster, who ranked Seven in the top ten, I have to say that in my opinion, the film has only one, but very significant plus in the form of David Fincher's atmospheric direction. Just like elsewhere in his work, he works magic with the camera, carefully creates scenes, plays with sound and imagery, and everything is subordinated to maximum effect and audience experience. Unfortunately, at the expense of logic, it is simply straightforward. Instead of being a crime thriller, it leans more toward the horror genre, specifically foreshadowing the later successful horror series Saw. The screenplay is overly complicated, just like in similarly tuned films with a brilliant manipulator, such as Primal Fear, and this simply would not work in reality. It is interesting to observe several film details where Fincher subordinates everything to the atmosphere. For example, wherever the characters enter, it must be dimmed and for God's sake, no one should press the light switch. They use flashlights or the room is sparsely illuminated by red flashes, to emphasize the gloominess of the environment and its mystery. The director chooses the most repulsive environments, neglected and dirty alleys on the outskirts, and old buildings with peeling facades, and plays even more with the interiors. These are usually much more dirty and devastated than would be possible in reality. The camera revels in decay and mold, which would have already alerted the surrounding tenants to some irregularities. The police officers enter an apartment with their guns raised and proceed to the last room, where they only then lift the cover off the victim, suddenly clutching their noses. Again, Fincher subordinates everything to the element of surprise. It is good to compare the dynamically shot chase scene in an apartment building with the chase scene on the roofs and in the apartments of an Arab quarter in The Bourne Supremacy. While the latter fits organically into the story, here the culprit should be able to run down the stairs and disappear through the main exit, but that would, of course, be artistically unattractive, so Fincher lets his villain and the pursuer run through parts of the house that probably no one has yet built and will never build because it would be an unapprovable architectural masterpiece. There are many similar absurdities, but the power of Fincher's unmistakable directorial style is so pronounced that it reliably conceals them in the eyes of the majority of viewers. Even I have to appreciate the atmospheric nature of the scene where Brad Pitt has a gun to his head and expects a shot. The brutality of the individual crimes naturally also captures the audience's interest, but my impression is lowered by the philosophical framework of the drama, with which I do not identify in the least. While another Fincher film, Fight Club, seemed like a great portrayal of the phenomenon of rebellion, anarchy, and consumerism in a modern metropolis, here the nihilism and depression seem inappropriate to me. Overall impression: 60%.
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