a masterpiece

Rating: Null/10 (16 August 1999)

Se7en is simply a masterpiece--one of the most disturbing movies ever made. Profound, intelligent, visceral, compelling, and masterful describe this chilling look at the mind and methods of a literate, brilliant and articulate serial killer. Persons who like shallow, escapist entertainment with lots of explosions will probably not like Se7en, which deals with very deep and disturbing issues, and actually requires the viewer to THINK, unlike most movies today. The film is not perfect, as no film is ever perfect, but the few minor flaws (there are no major ones, in my opinion) are far, far outweighed by the things this movie does right. The acting by Freeman, Pitt, Paltrow and the unbilled killer is uniformly top-notch; the dark, gothic quality of much of the movie compliments the subject matter quite well; the music is haunting and spare; the gore and implied violence are never gratuitous, but merely to serve as important and visceral indications of the mindset of the killer, who chooses his victims and murders them according to the Seven Deadly Sins of literature: Gluttony, Sloth, Lust, Envy, Pride, Greed, and Wrath. The climax is a gut-wrenching finish to one of the most compelling movies ever made. I suspect that many people who do not *like* this movie and criticize various aspects of it are more disturbed by it than they would admit--it is not for everyone. One of the best films of the 90s, and superior to Silence of the Lambs.