Seven (1995)

	Directed by: David Fincher	AKA Se7en COUNTRY USA Genre Crime/Thriller NORWEGIAN TITLE Seven RUNNING TIME 123 minutes
	Produced by: Phyllis Carlyle Arnold Kopelson
	Written by: Andrew Kevin Walker

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
William Somerset	Morgan Freeman	½
David Mills	Brad Pitt	½
Tracy Mills	Gwyneth Paltrow	½
Officer Davis	John Cassini	-
Dr. O'Neill	Peter Crombie	-
Police Captain	R. Lee Ermey
California	John C. McGinley	-
John Doe	Kevin Spacey

Review

Andrew Kevin Walker's screenplay is clever without being too complex, David Fincher's direction is stylish and visually assured, and the steadily unfolding plot feels almost predictable until it detonates in an explosive twist that, in 1995, still felt startingly fresh – as compelling here as in Bryan Singer's The Usual Suspects. What elevates Seven is that the finale isn't merely effective narratively but also opens up a well of psychological and sociological discussions that have been simmering beneath the film's surface throughout.

The initial premise here recalls The Silence of The Lambs, with an ambitious young detective entering the mind of a serial killer under the guidance of a more seasoned mentor. Some of the early scenes feel genre-bound and recycled, maybe Fincher needed some time to shake off his dispiriting Alien³ experience, but as we delve deeper into the case, Fincher's antiquated, rain-soaked, decaying urban landscape settles into place and creates an effective backdrop for the film's deeper exploration of morality, human values, and modern urban existence. The acting is strong, in particular by Morgan Freeman, who gives probably the best performance of his career as a weary, disillusioned detective who sees the rot around him.