A Brutal Albeit Endlessly Intriguing Crime Thriller

Rating: 9/10 (17 August 2018)

Although Alien 3 was filmmaker David Fincher's directorial debut, I think he'd prefer to call this film his real debut any day of the week. Released in 1995, Seven (or Se7en) went on to gain critical acclaim, huge box-office revenue, and helped kickstart new beginnings for the director. To this very day, it remains by many as a highly graphic and disturbing neo-noir flick with a highly engaging premise and finale. After seeing the film in its entirety myself, I could not agree more.
The film tells the story of two New York detectives named William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) and David Mills (Brad Pitt) who track down a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins in his murders. What really holds the movie together are the two leads, as Pitt and Freeman display excellent chemistry with each other. Both of their characters have their own desires in life, with Somerset on the brink of retirement and Mills just starting at his position. Their performances are so sharp and realistic that it's hard to see the actors rather than the actual characters. Considering how disgusting their murder case is, it's only fitting that they do the necessary reacting and analyzing.
In addition to strong leads, some of the supporting cast are quite memorable in their own regard. Mills' wife Tracy (Gwyneth Paltrow), faces certain struggles upon moving to a new city and certain complications about her personal life. Whenever she's with Somerset, you can just feel her devastation, making her arguably the most sympathetic character in the whole feature. However, the serial killer himself, John Doe (Kevin Spacey), is one who could really send shivers down anyone's spine. Alongside all of his murders being horrific yet well thought out, he's actually smarter than one might assume, and he practically wrote the third act he's so clever albeit evil (no spoilers).
I'm not too familiar with David Fincher's directing style, but this film really displays New York in a graphic setting. Even when it's a calm rainy day or even sunny, there's always a sense of danger lurking about. The editing is also very well paced, especially during a particularly suspenseful chase scene of Mills and John Doe through an apartment complex which must've went through lots of trial and error to get right. The grim tone helps give the viewers a glimpse of the horrors in the world, so when we know more about John Doe, you'd only wish you could never meet someone like that again.
Isn't it great how a filmmaker's career can really get off the ground when they make an original film of their liking as opposed to some lame Hollywoodized sequel? After 23 years, Seven stills holds up as a modern classic that dares to tackle life's harsh realities, the depiction of two detectives investigation solving a horrific case, and the darkest realms that the human soul offers. If you're in to very gothic, psychological thrillers that talk about themes like the aforementioned, definitely give this a watch when you can. Fincher has since gone on to make more worthwhile films that still inspire many to this day, so it looks like I've got quite a gold mine ahead of me.