Review of the movie Se7en (1995)

Review of the movie Se7en (1995)

by Martin Elleby Berg, 1.D

Se7en is instructed by David Fincher, and the lead roles are played by Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman.

Detective Mills (Pitt), a rookie cop, is transferred to a police station in New York, where his future partner, veteran and nearly retired Detective Lt. Somerset works. The two partners first case to solve a man’s death, who is apparently been killed by overeating. As the film progress, the two cops realize, they are dealing with religious serial killer, who kills people after the seven deadly sins; Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy and Pride.

What make this film so good are the small details the movie presents us with. You have to follow and watch it from A-Z, to get a good understanding of it. Well, we’re presented with the murderer, about 1 hour into the film but we, as a first time viewer, doesn’t realize that until 30 minutes later, when our two main roles are searching a suspects house, and finds a picture, the murderer took, disguised as a photographer at one of the first crime scenes. The murderer (John Doe , played by Kevin Spacey is first presented to us halfway into the film, and I think is a stroke of genius by Fincher, because it’s kind of cliché to be presented with him in the start, so the police can get closer to him, step by step throughout the movie and catch him in the end. Otherwise, if we are presented with the murderer in the last 10 minutes, we get a bad background description of him. But with Se7en, we meet John in the middle of the film and his background develops by his act and saying, till the end.

One of the films strong sides, are the characters development. Mills and Somerset starts out having a very intense relationship but as the film develops, they get very close. Mills wife, Tracy Mills, played by Gwyneth Paltrow also built a relationship with the wise, veteran cop.

At the point where John finally gets caught (he reports himself at the police station), he has killed five people, and needs two more. He makes an agreement with Somerset and Mills, that he will show them the two missing bodies. John leads the detectives to an open area, where after while a mailman arrives with a package.  And here we arrive to the point, where the film separates itself from other good thriller movies. To finishes his seven deadly sins kills, he needs Envy and Wrath. He completes these two with, by first killing Tracy Mills, because he was jealous of the life Mills has. Her head was in the package, which was addressed to Det. Mills. In his anger, Mills shoots and kills John, and finalizes his masterpiece of killing.

The film is a true masterpiece and it’s one of the best thriller films I’ve seen, first because of its well written plot (and later the plot twist) and the amount of brilliant details it’s consist of. But second, the films structure is very good and different from other films. All around it’s a good film and the cast members make it an even greater experience to watch.  6 out 6 arrows in the air!

↑↑↑↑↑↑