Se7en

🔥 5th Watch | Top 100 | David Fincher Ranked "Wanting people to listen to you, you can't just tap them on the shoulder anymore. You have to hit them with a sledgehammer, and then you'll notice you've got their strict attention." Se7en might not be David Fincher's best work (thanks to The Social Network) and I wouldn't quite call it his magnum opus either (though I won't specify which film is, because we abide by the first two rules of said movie). However, Se7en is certainly David Fincher's style at its finest and most recognizable form. In just his second feature film, David Fincher bounced back from his lack-luster start with Alien 3 and created the greatest detective mystery of all time, a title it still carries to this day. In fact, it was so legendary, it became only the second movie released in 1995 to inspire a deeply beloved Batman movie! Although, Se7en was still the much superior film, differing from how the other Batman movie did pretty convincingly surpass its 1995 action thriller counterpart. But nonetheless, despite not even being old enough for a 30-year anniversary, Se7en has still had a major influence on cinema, and a massive contributor to such a profound impact lies with the masterful quality of David Fincher's craft. Se7en is a film that gets better and better as the runtime flows by, but like The Shining, that doesn't mean the first half isn't shy of any treats either. Both films do a remarkable job at quickly establishing a lot of tension, instantly hooking the viewer. Then, by frequently providing the viewer with astonishing and unforgettable scenes, the film keeps their attention occupied as if they had just been hit by a sledgehammer. Patiently, these scenes escalate the tension and suspense as the film gets deeper into the conflict. And to add a greater sense of progression to the story, the film uses week dates to chronicle the passing of time. Although, these week dates additionally serve to create a finite timeline for the story as well. This provides insight on when to expect the apex of the film, which in a normal story might make the movie seem predictable. But in these films, this characteristic produces a scary sense of uncertainty, uncertainty that is fueled by the inevitability of an upcoming finale. This finale ultimately comes in the form of an exhilarating and harrowing climax, a riveting sequence that sends shivers down the viewer's spine, leaving them speechless when the credits roll. David Fincher is not given enough credit for how he can utilize his actors in his films. Even outside of Se7en, David Fincher has been the birth of many spectacular performances. Most notably, Andrew Garfield was perfect as Eduardo Saverin, and it was a crime that he didn't win Best Supporting Actor, let alone get nominated for the category. Fight Club also had many wonderful performances. Edward Norton gives the greatest performance of his successful career, but most notably, Brad Pitt excels as Tyler Durden. But before Brad Pitt played Tyler Durden, he played David Mills. Historically, I have claimed that Fight Club featured his better performance, but after my most recent watch of Se7en, I'm ambivalent on which I prefer. But regardless, which Brad Pitt performance reigns supreme doesn't matter, since both were legendary. For both of those characters, Pitt enveloped himself into his character, and it resulted in one of my favorite performances in all time. Morgan Freeman also stars in Se7en, and he too was miraculous. He calmness and sagaciousness provided a pivotal contrast to the foolish and energetic Mills. As a result, the character dynamic between the two was always captivating, which caused the "filler" content in between the investigations to be just as engaging. However, this would not be a proper review of Se7en without mentioning the brilliance of Kevin Spacey. There are very few antagonists that are able to steal the show with so little screentime, but if I ever needed to list a bunch of examples where that was the case, John Doe would without a doubt be the front runner of my list. He was definitely one of the greatest villains of all time. Beauty about Se7en is that I could go on and on about the magnificence of Se7en. There is not one single flaw about it. It perfects each element of filmmaking, and then they are combined so meticulously effective that the resultant work is a masterpiece. The rainy production design, the dreary cinematography, Howard Shore's extremely underrated soundtrack (that in my opinion actually contends with his The Lord of the Rings work), the acting, the dialogue, the editing, the screenplay, and more are all complex pieces that form a hauntingly beautiful whole. Se7en is by far the greatest detective film to have ever been made. The Batman doesn't lay a finger on it. Even High and Low doesn't surpass it. Se7en is unrivaled peak cinema. ⬅️ Previous Review: Quiz Show