Scary as hell

Rating: 10/10 (23 August 1999)

Warning: may contain minor spoilers (probably nothing you wouldn't see on the video jacket)
I watched this on video over the weekend and was glued to my seat and scared out of my wits. I didn't see Seven in the theater when it originally came out because I thought it would be too gory and creepy, but am I glad I decided to see it. This is a superbly crafted psychological drama/thriller with great acting by Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman as two detectives on the trail of a serial killer caught up in religious fervor who happens to be extremely intelligent. The killer chooses his victims based on the "seven deadly sins" (gluttony, greed, sloth, lust, pride, envy and wrath) and can only be described as extremely creative in the ways he kills and tortures his victims. I was afraid the movie might be too gory for me, but I managed to stay in my seat, only covering my eyes a couple of times. The director successfully creates a mounting tension as the story unfolds, and the unexpected ending will leave you speechless -- one of the best movie endings I've seen. As my husband said, "whoever wrote this script must be slightly off just to have been able to think of it!" Watch this movie if you haven't already, preferably not by yourself. I give it a 9.5 out of 10.