Seven Re-Review

No Spoilers

“Apathy is the solution. I mean, it’s easier to lose yourself in drugs than it is to cope with life. It’s easier to steal what you want than it is to earn it. It’s easier to beat a child than it is to raise it. Hell, love costs: it takes effort and work.”

It may come as a shock to many but director David Fincher’s seminal thriller: Seven turns 30 years old this year. Released in 1995 (the math is math-ing) it was the first film Fincher and 90’s heart throb Brad Pitt worked together. It was the film that proved Fincher’s directorial prowess as well as proving Pitt wasn’t just a pretty face but an actor to be lauded. Seven’s neo-noir style was fresh; wonderfully eerie, and befitting the gruesome tone.

I was way too young to see the debut of Seven and admittedly I knew most of the twists through cultural osmosis but I still wanted to see this juggernaut of a murder mystery on the big screen for its anniversary cinematic re-release. 

Initially Denzel Washington was tapped to star. Fincher recently admitted that Washington did not like the script which had to be rewritten 10 or 11 times to suit the actor (Fincher, 2025). Despite these reviews Washington ultimately turned down the role but Washington’s loss was Morgan Freeman’s (and our!) gain. 

Freeman plays Detective Lt William Somerset who is 7 days away from retirement. Unsurprisingly the number 7 also plays a big role in the film. For his last assignment Somerset is given the case of killer who is artfully killing their victims using the guise of the 7 (see!) Deadly Sins.

Beginning with the sin of ‘Gluttony’ the killer forced a morbidly obese man to literally eat himself to death at gunpoint. This is where we enter the movie and it only gets more disturbing from here!

Brad Pitt’s character; Detective David Mills is new to this unnamed gloomy city accompanied by his wife (Gwyneth Paltrow). The city seems to be its own biosphere where it rains constantly. Not only does this add a sense of foreboding but it could also be a nod to the biblical flood, punishing the characters for their supposed sins. Seven has many religious undertones.

Detective Mills is assigned to the case with Somerset whom he has to remind that despite his youthful appearance, Mills is no ‘rookie’ and has worked on many disturbing cases. 

As the sins are counted off the killers methods become more and more sadistic. This leads to a climax that even today, thirty years later, is still shocking and widely quoted. 

Seven is a classic due to its many components working together seamlessly. The artful direction, the moody set design, and the atmospheric score composed by Howard Shore, who also scored The Silence of the Lambs. It is amazing to experience the score with cinematic surround sound, particularly the groundbreaking opening credits punctuated by Nine Inch Nails song ‘Closer’.

The two leads are predictably fantastic but the relatively small cast all give memorable performance. R. Lee Ermey (Full Metal Jacket) brings his authoritative charm to the grizzled police captain. John C McGinley (Platoon) gives his usual energetic performance heading the movies SWAT team as ‘California’ (unclear whether this is a code name or his actual name). Interestingly Fincher sourced McGinley’s talent for adlibbing as most of his scenes are adlibbed.

In one of the most iconic scenes in the film and arguably one of the most famous jump scares in cinematic history. The actors (including Freeman, McGinley, and Pitt) were not told to expect this particular scare. So the reactions of the characters are the genuine reactions of the actors. See if you can spot which scene!

Some may be tempted to dismiss Seven as just another popcorn thriller but, for me, there are several lines that are so well written they stay with you. In one scene an unnamed doctor is speaking about the death of a character; “He’s experienced about as much pain and suffering as anyone I’ve encountered, give or take, and he still has hell to look forward to.” This line is powerful on many levels as it is said with the casualness and dark humour of a doctor who is numbed to treating the evils of this world. It perfectly encapsulates the dark inevitability of the film.

It is clear why Seven is considered a classic. For any millennials (such as myself) or Gen Z’s or indeed anyone who wants to relive the creeping tension, I highly recommend catching it on the big screen!