Se7en (1995)

 

There are a lot of thrillers out there that you can only watch once. As soon as the entire plot is revealed, it seems as if there is nothing new to discover. Not so with 'Se7en', which is a film that always stays fresh even if you know precisely what is going to happen. Props to filmmaker David Fincher for bringing us one of the bleakest and most intrigiung thrillers of not just the 90s, but perhaps of cinema in its entirety.

And to think the poor guy was completely bushwacked while filming 'Alien 3'. See what you can do when the executives leave you alone? 

In a dreary city where it always rains, crime is running rampant and people lose hope. Here we find detective Somerset, who is one week from retirement.

I know what you're thinking: this cliché, really? But it doesn't play out like this. Trust me.

Somerset has had enough of the grime and depressing nature of it all, but he gets coupled with young and slightly too enthusiastic detective Mills. Somerset can feel trouble brewing, as Mills is way too gung-ho about solving crime. And then they are called to what appears to be a bizarre murder of a rather large man. On its own, a strange murdercase is nothing special, but when a top level solicitor is killed and the word 'Greed' is written in blood, Somerset recognises that there will be a pattern. 

He is not wrong, as soon they get a new murder also based on one of the seven deadly sins. And this can only lead to one conclusion in the end... 

To give more away would be almost criminal, as the plot is extremely well thought out and it is more fun discovering what happens along the way. Suffice to say things aren't going too well in this city. Fincher excellently captures the grey mood of downtrodden people with cool visuals, which isn't too surprising as the man learned his trade by creating music videos. Directors who start off here usually have an eye for interesting images and unusual lighting and 'Se7en' is absolutely all about mood. The tale of the seven sins is also very well executed and will send shivers down your spine every time you get to rediscover what transpires. 

Not just the visuals are great, but the interaction between Morgan Freeman as the older, cynical detective Somerset and Brad Pitt as the young and feisty Mills works really well. This was the film Pitt wanted to do in order to get rid of the heartthrob stigma he got and he succeeded wonderfully. 

I won't spoil the ending, but let's just say a certain actor left an indelible imprint upon all and also provided the world with one of those iconic villains who don't even need a whole lot of screentime in order to impress. 

'Se7en' is creepy, haunting and top notch in every department. If you have a need for an excellent thriller, look no further than this one.