A cult classic that didn't get the acclaim it deserved

Rating: 9/10 (17 August 2018)

Voluntarily transferring in to a crime hotspot in an unnamed city of America, Det. David Mills (Brad Pitt) is a rookie detective on the rise. He's teamed up with Det. William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) who's not far away from retirement. They end up on a case investigating murders that follow a pattern and are inspired by the Seven Deadly Sins from Dante's "The Devine Comedy". Somerset is an expert in hunting down criminals and does things the old-fashioned way through years of working hard, due to looming retirement and a desire to stay alive he doesn't want to get involved too heavily - his years and the weariness they have brought him suggest that there is more going on than just another killer on the loose. Mills on the other hand wants to make a name for himself and pushes the case and his involvement. They fall out a little, it takes a meeting with Tracy Mill (Gwyneth Paltrow - Pitt's film wife) to convince Somerset that he has to be involved, if nothing else than to guide and protect Mills. Thus they pursue the murder, John Doe (Kevin Spacey) who has planned a shock for the detectives.
Directed by David Fincher and wonderfully written by Andrew Kevin Walker, this is a fantastic intelligent and gripping film, a real cult classic and one of the iconic films of the 90's. It's dark and dirty with a fantastic atmosphere. The unnamed American city is a real hive of filth and degradation, it's always raining, and even when you are away from the rain the colour palette is muted, dark and dirty. The acting is top class all the way across the board. While having a new rogue cop and one close to retirement isn't a new set-up it works particularly well in this and Pitt and Freeman end up bouncing off each other beautifully. The score to the movie is great and really helps to build up the atmosphere and bring in a level of tension that chills. Editing techniques used are both new and existing, some a direct homage to absolute greats of horror movies, in particularly the hidden cell insertion (a-la "The Exorcist" for example) - a frame or picture hidden in the visual reel and only displayed for a fraction of a moment. The look and feel of the film harp back to noir classics or even graphic novel comic books the way it's all dark and gloomy, and while it's set as an action/suspense/thriller there are nods to horror too, both psychologically and physically, with the manner of killings which take place adding a grizzly and raw element. Well-paced and almost metronomal, this film will keep you entertained throughout - in fact the most peaceful time the film allows is when the detectives themselves are having a break from action. This is a feature of the film, it stays on track and focussed throughout and unlike conventional Hollywood films it never strays from it plot and purpose. The audience plays a part in the film as the third detective, in that they are kept in the dark throughout and only really learn things as the detectives learn, which allows for an intense ride and lifts the finale onto a pedestal. Not your typical cops and robbers' film this will take you out of your comfort zone and take you into a brutal world, and who knows, you might end up questioning your morality and empathising or sympathising with the killer's motives.
This film didn't win half as many awards as it should have done - but thankfully its cult status and fan recognition have kept it alive in film history consciousness. 9 out of 10 from me.