Se7en (pronounced as Seven) is a mystery crime thriller of epic proportions. It ties in with the concept of The Seven Deadly Sins with a lot of action, suspense, and superb acting from Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman. It also features themes like religion, hope, and many more.
Se7en has been known as one of the best David Fincher films.
Plot Overview
The movie begins with an aging detective named William Somerset, who plans to hang his coat and retire in a week. He works in a city plagued with crime, corruption, and injustice. He is paired with David Mills, a short-tempered detective who recently moved into the city with his wife, Tracy. They are tasked to investigate the death of an obese man who was forced to eat until his stomach burst. At the crime scene, they discover the word "gluttony" written on the wall. Somerset was reluctant to take the case because of its gravity, but his request was denied. The next day, they investigate another victim who cut a pound of flesh from his body. They also discover the word "greed" at the crime scene. They find out a few clues that will lead them to the next and deduce it to be marked as "sloth." Somerset concludes that the serial killer patterns the crimes based on the seven deadly sins, and there will be more victims in the future.
Mills invites Somerset to have a dinner with his wife to settle their ideological differences. After a few days, Tracy meets with Somerset to discuss her unhappiness about their transfer and pregnancy. She says she does not want to raise her child in a city of crime and injustice. Somerset shares that he had a girlfriend who had an abortion for the same reason.
Mills and Somerset go to a library to look for books about the seven deadly sins to check who borrowed them. This led them to a man named John Doe, who located his apartment. After confronting the suspected serial killer, they discover his psychopathic nature through the photographs of some of his victims. As the two detectives get closer to finding Doe's motives, the murders of "lust" and "pride" happen. Things get much messier when John Doe presents himself to be arrested and offers the two detectives the clue for "envy" and "wrath."
Review
Se7en is, without a doubt, a tight-gripping mystery crime thriller that involves a lot of gruesome scenes. Delivered by the incredible performances of Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kevin Spacey, this film is indeed one of the best of the 90s.
The story is driven by the mysteries involving gruesome crimes and presented as well-structured to misdirect the audience. The movie even named the serial killer John Doe, which corresponds to a common placeholder name for anyone. His character is presented and symbolized as anyone with a different viewpoint.
The ending of Se7en may be a little anti-climactic that raises more questions than answers, but it also perfectly describes what it is about. The film is intended to raise concerns about the society and religion. There's no good or bad.
Overall, I absolutely love this movie. It's not for everyone, and might be a little hard to watch for people who hate gruesome images.
A good 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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