A disturbing masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (14 March 2013)

This movie effected me emotionally more than any other movie I can think of. (Except maybe for One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, for different reasons.) Basically, it's about a young cop and an old cop who's about to retire, who investigate a serial killer whose murders are based off of the seven deadly sins.
What makes it so horrifying is that you see the aftermath. You hear the investigations, as they detail what happened. Match that with the images of the dead bodies, and you've got yourself a profoundly effective mental image. Good luck sleeping tonight! Aside from the disturbing elements, the movie is still a good movie. Pitt and Freeman give great performances as usual, and it helps that their characters are likable. Pitt's character is an arrogant ass. Or is he? As you find out by the way he acts outside the police station, he seems likes a fun guy to be around. And as the movie goes along, you see how his job and the disgusting murders that he has to get knee deep into affect him as a person. Freeman's character is pretty much the straight-up good guy, and you could argue that he's the typical "retiring black cop" that was made more common by Glover's character in the Lethal Weapon series.
The story is very engaging, as the investigations become more intense, and the more the protagonists get wrapped up in the case. So much so, that the climax (which begins with possibly the most heart-pounding chase scene I've ever seen) becomes one of the most jaw-dropping and engrossing pieces of film I've ever witnessed.
The dialogue is good, but with only a couple memorable lines (which I won't say, because they either possibly spoil the movie, or aren't that great unless you've actually seen the scene.) However, with that said, the dialogue is used as a tool for sending a graphic mental image to your head during the murder scenes. And that, is probably the best words can do in a movie.
Overall, if you can get over the shudder-inducing murder scenes that I've only brought up about a thousand times up to this point, definitely give this movie a go.