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Critics Consensus: A brutal, relentlessly grimy shocker with taut performances, slick gore effects, and a haunting finale.
Critic Consensus: A brutal, relentlessly grimy shocker with taut performances, slick gore effects, and a haunting finale.
All Critics (72) | Top Critics (25) | Fresh (58) | Rotten (14) | DVD (17)
Unfortunately, most of the scenes in Seven are unlikely, which means that by the end of the movie the duo is battling not just an insane killer but an off-the-wall screenwriter.
There's none of the humor that takes the sting out of slasher movies, and certainly none of the psychology and depth that made The Silence of the Lambs such an intellectual thriller.
Were it not for the gravity and thoughtfulness of Morgan Freeman's performance as a retiring policeman, and the third-act appearance of its bizarre villain, Seven would be unendurable.
The reason to see Seven, which is decidedly not for the faint of stomach, is not for the punishment of sin, but the many virtues of Freeman's contribution.
The odd thing about Seven, however, is that except for its facile, familiar and ridiculously gimmicky plot, it's a pretty involving murder mystery.
The movie is riveting in a gut-twisting way, but I, myself, would not call it "entertaining."
The stormy, sooty, blackened unnamed city in David Fincher's murder mystery feels a little like hell-infested with cretins, sinners, and pretty boys with a death wish-and that sure makes me think Se7en is one of the foremost horror movies of modern times.
It's about magnitudes of corruptibility and fallibility, how we all fall prey to them and yet, so we hope, press on. Watching as a teenager in 1995, I felt the fear of what could test me. Today, I watch and fear that I've not yet really been tested.
For nearly every movie about a sadistic criminal that would come after, some part of us recalls the words of Detective Somerset, who may be one of the first men in mainstream cinema that dares to ask why we easily dismiss serial killers as lunatics.
Cria um mundo opressivo, cinza e angustiante que parece determinado a constantemente lembrar seus ocupantes de que a vida é cruel, injusta e sem sentido.
After 20 years and countless copycats, hasn't lost any of its unnerving, devastating nihilistic power.
Although the story isn't original, it's powerfully directed by David Fincher, and Morgan Freeman gives another of his superbly understated performances.
David Fincher's sophisticated thriller is filled with daunting symbolism and an open-ended vision of grisly imagery. Se7en is a psychological fabrication of thematic scope and suspenseful sequences that pays off in the mid 90s and is still revered as one of Fincher's best and a cinematic tour de force. 4.5/5
Super Reviewer
Se7en is a worthwhile crime thriller thanks to solid performances, an intriguing mystery plot, and a memorable finale that will have you on the edge of your seat. The film has a sense of dread that is palpable and has enough moments to keep you engaged throughout, but it is really about the climax. The film clocks in at just over 2 hours and feels like it is a little slow in places, but it is worth sticking till the end. Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman make a great pair playing opposite personalities and the killer is played memorably by a great actor that I won't give away for spoiler reasons. I can see why some people don't like this film. It is slow, gory, and unrelenting. Ultimately, Se7en ends up memorable for me despite its flaws.
A retiring detective and his young successor investigate a series of bizarre murders based on the seven deadly sins. The lukewarm reception for David Fincher's debut Alien 3 resulted in most writing him off as another style over substance hack from the MTV generation, but boy did he learn from his mistakes. No-one was expecting his follow up to be much of interest; let alone a virtual modern masterpiece. Fincher had clearly been studying the stylistic hallmarks of Ridley Scott, and the dark, brooding atmosphere crossed with artistic visuals are very much in his tradition. Although the formula of world-weary educated gentleman cop teamed up with a young hot head is hardly an original one, excellent performances and intelligent writing steer the material clear of cliche, and the imagery of the grotesque never descends into unnecessary gore or sensationalism. Complimented by a suitably claustrophobic soundtrack and a brilliantly unpredictable plot twist, I struggle to see how this film could have been any better. In the absurdly overcrowded marketplace of the serial killer movie, this stands head and shoulders above the rest as the very, very best of the genre. And yes, that includes the over-rated Silence Of The Lambs.
The most remarkable thing about "Seven" is that, despite its brutally bleak tone, the film never wavers. It never lets up in any aspect, from the serendipitous chemistry between the two leads, to the brutally realistic and horrifying crimes, to the building suspense that comes with such chilling stakes. Add in the most chilling villain I have ever seen (who does little more than simply talk on screen) and Fincher's amazingly effective directing style (in which what he shows audiences and what he lets them imagine are equally scary), and "Seven" is easily a classic crime thriller that remains uncompromising no matter how many times you watch it.
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