'Se7en' is a twisted, thrilling film that managed to give Fincher the start he deserved

Rating: 9/10 (8 July 2015)

In the mid-90s, director David Fincher read the screenplay for Se7en, a mystery-thriller film and said that he found it to be a fascinating idea. Little did he know, that the script copy he had been sent had the original ending that New Line didn't want, so he had to fight to keep it in the film. Either way, the film was released in September of 1995 and instantly had rave reviews, and managed to make even Roger Ebert proclaim it as dark, twisted and a great movie. So, let's see if all of these critics are whackjobs, or if this film truly is as good as they say.
Se7en follows two detectives - one set to retire by the end of the week, and a rookie set to take over his position, as they slowly realize that several seemingly unconnected murders are actually the work of a serial killer basing his murders on the seven deadly sins.
This film is one I had been fascinated by for a long time. Many people referred to it as a basis for the dark and twisted films to come, such as the Saw franchise, so I wanted to finally see why people were constantly comparing the two. So, what did I think? Well, let's get into it.
The acting was phenomenal. Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman both do terrific jobs as the two detectives investigating this twisted case, and both really play off of each other very well. One of the best examples of this comes from the opening scene, where Pitt meets up with Freeman and they have a chat. Quite intriguing. Kevin Spacey... I feel like I shouldn't spoil who he is because of the plot, but believe me when I say, he'll send shivers down your spine. Gwyneth Paltrow does a stellar job as well as Pitt's wife, and manages to emote more than in any other performance. Ha, I'm only joking. And R. Lee Ermey does a good job as the police captain.
The music in this film, by Howard Shore, of all people, was stellar. One of the most effective scenes in the film, which is surprisingly the opening credits, had a remixed version of a Nine Inch Nails song paired with Shore's score, and it works very well. Hell, the score works very well throughout the entire film. The lighting and just overall tone of the film is very dark, which helps compliment the subject matter very well. I just love some of the shots, like when they first come upon the Gluttony crime scene and are using their flashlights all around, that scene looks so dark and mysterious, you can't help but be intrigued.
Of course, Fincher's direction is brilliant so we don't even need to have a long discussion about that. The screenplay, as a whole, works very well. It's very good at keeping us contained to these murders and the people surrounding them and being affected by them. I can see why Fincher really wanted to make this screenplay. The editing in this film is definitely something to note, as scenes such as the opening credits and the overlays of the days look very well done, and it's obviously that either Fincher or the editor had very good ideas on how that was supposed to work.
Overall, Se7en is a very solid flick. It boasts some talented performances, some great tone, music, direction and a solid screenplay and some very bold, but fantastic, editing choices. If you haven't seen this film, do yourself a favor and go see it because it's very dark, and the twist ending will leave you reeling, I'm sure.
10/10. Grade: A