Deadly Sins – Se7en (1995)

One last case. So this is about a detective who is about to retire (Morgan Freeman). He gets teamed up with a hotshot rookie (Brad Pitt). They are about to meet their match when victims of a new serial killer start getting reported. The modus operandi: seven deaths according to the seven deadly sins. Now, I’ve been wanting to do a rewatch of the library of David Fincher for a minute. He’s an amazing filmmaker, and I can only begin to tell you the amount of mileage I’ve gotten from Fight Club and The Social Network… plus, as an added bonus, I won’t have to rewatch Alien³ again since I’ve watched it in close enough proximity. Se7en, on the other hand, is a modern classic, and I’ve been overdue for a rewatch for years.

What’s in the box?

All things considered, it’s surprising that this film became as popular as it did. The subject matter is pitch black, and those stories sometimes struggle to find their audience. Not here, though. This movie pulls you in immediately with its luridness, but where it may fool you is that this is a genre-bending film. You think you’re walking into a police procedural because that’s what the tropes lead you to believe. There’s a young cop with something to prove, a veteran who is literally a week away from retirement, etc. But the more this story reveals itself, you realize you’re not only watching that, you’re watching a thriller. You’re watching a mystery unwilling to show its cards until precisely the right moment. But above all, you’re watching a deranged horror flick, and it’s got the shock value to back it up. They even put together a memorable and unnerving opening credit sequence that plays like a Nine Inch Nails music video, and that has stayed etched in my brain throughout the years dating back from when I originally watched this as a teenager.

From start to finish, this film is filled with imagery that sticks with you.

You might argue that because they set this story up within the parameters of a police procedural, it leans on stereotypes and clichés. I would counter that argument by saying they put in the legwork into the details of all the characters that it overcomes that. It’s the little things, like having Morgan Freeman put on a metronome to go to sleep. If you don’t have the stomach for this type of affair, I get it, but if you do, this is one of the faster 127-minute movies out there. It also gets bonus points for having one of my all-time favorite closing lines in a film.

Se7en (1997) *****

– Critic for Hire