It'll crawl under your skin like maggots

Rating: Null/10 (5 February 2020)

I first saw Seven when my Finnish teacher showed it to our class. I was perhaps 14 at the time. And it left a lasting impact. This crime thriller, this gothic neo-noir masterpiece where people are brutally murdered according to the Seven Deathly Sins as recognized by the Catholic Church. Down the line it led me to Hellblazer, Neil Gaiman, the whole Vertigo Universe, film noir, Gotham, Edgar Allan Poe, et cetera. But I think it all started with this film.
Se7en is one of those films you can only see once for the first time. If that makes any sense to you. I've seen it multiple times throughout the years, but none of those viewings can compare with the first time, when everything is new, each murder scene is more gruesome than the last, and you have no idea what the serial killer is up to. And in a way it's sad. If i could, I would erase this movie from my memory, just so I could experience watching it for the first time all over again. Its twists and turns are that good. But I can't. And that makes me a bit mad. Which makes it a great film.
I've always struggled with reviewing this film. Usually my friends have at least heard about the film and how great it is, so I only have to warn them about how stomach churning it is. But what do you say about it to someone who has never heard of it, without spoiling something essential about it?
I honestly don't have a clue. Suffice to say, it's one of my favourite films of all time. It's violent, it's bloody, it's absolutely macabre. But it's also the best film Morgan Freeman has ever made. It's the best film Brad Pitt has ever made. It's the best film David Fincher has ever made. It's the best film (redacted) has ever made. Not for the easily spooked, but if you're willing to gaze into the abyss, this abyss will gladly gaze into you.