A work of art.

Rating: 10/10 (2 December 1999)

It seems to be the trend now to equate this movie to Silence of the Lambs, but to me, this movie far surpasses that one. Not to say that Silence of the Lambs wasn't good, it was actually one of the best of its kind, and Hannibal Lecter might be the best serial killer ever. However, Seven blows that movie away and if not for The Usual Suspects, it would be the best detective-thriller of the 90's.
There are so many aspects to this movie worth mentioning, I couldn't fit it into 1000 words. Yes, this movie may be considered too slow for the action junkies of the world. Sorry, Arnie and Sly Stallone do not make an appearance here. But for those who place a higher importance on acting, directing, and storyline, this is the movie for you. Fincher deserves top mention. This guy continues to amaze me with top notch films. Never saw Alien3, as I don't like horror movies and don't care about the Alien trilogy. But The Game is a very underrated thriller, you can't go wrong with Sean Penn and Michael Douglas. And as far as Fight Club goes, well, words cannot express how good that movie was, so I won't even try. But with those 2 movies alone, as well as this one, Fincher proves he is one of the best up and coming directors in the business.
We all know Brad Pitt is usually placed in movies merely for eye candy for the female audience, but obviously Fincher has a knack for bringing the best out of Pitt. He's really not a terrible actor, and he was actually pretty good in 12 Monkeys, but it is here and Fight Club where he does his best work. He's no Morgan Freeman, and he is certainly eclipsed here by Freeman, but Pitt manages to hold his own effectively. Paltrow is, well, Paltrow here, pretty boring and monotone, just like most parts she plays. But she is as important to the story as any of the others, and based on that she fits in well.
As good as everyone was in this movie, Kevin Spacey dominates the screen, as he does with every movie he has ever been in. He is far and away the best actor going today, and his role in Seven may be his best so far. Giving away any details of his part would take away from the effect of the movie, but let's just say it is chilling how good he is. Every scene is important, and the scenery and music help develop the mood of the story, which is definitely grim. Not sure why so many people have revolted at the "gore and violence" of this movie, as most of it is implied and never really shown. People don't seem to have a problem reading about it in the newspapers, in books, or even the Bible, but I guess it's different when it's presented in your face on the big screen. Doesn't make sense to me, but whatever. If you can look past that, you're looking at one of the top 10 movies of the 90's, and one of the best ever. 10/10, 100/100, 1000/1000, an all-time classic.