Detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman) is asked to partner with newly transferred Detective Mills (Brad Pitt) in his final days before retirement. The first case that they are given is that of a killer inspired by the seven deadly sins. Their investigation will have cataclysmic consequences on their lives as the murderer forces them to consider the decay of society and good versus evil. 

Seven recently returned to cinemas for its 30th anniversary which meant that I had the pleasure of seeing it on the big screen for the first time. Released in 1995 with an 18 certificate I was not unfortunately of age to watch it on release. Of course I suspect that if I had managed to sneak my way in I may have scarred myself for life. In the screening I went to it still prompted walkouts at the Sloth murder scene. And whilst the darkness is prevalent throughout this masterpiece it is the chinks of light that perhaps make it stand the test of time. 

Somerset is a broken man when we meet him. He is leaving his job because of the apathy that he sees in society and the unthinkable violence he sees everyday in crime scenes. Mills on the other hand is youthful and excited to be trying to make a difference. As the story draws to a close those roles will be reversed. As with all things in Seven neither of them are perfect. Mills seems totally unaware that he has taken his wife Tracy (Gwyneth Paltrow) away from the rural life that she loved so much. And Somerset has let his fear of the rot within society lead him to some questionable life choices and advice. But these are believable characters making the best choices under the circumstances within their belief systems. 

Visually the film is oppressive. It rains nonstop until the very final sequence, God it seems is washing away the sinners in a squalid city. Everything is showing signs of decay, there is no lighting inside oppressively dark buildings strewn with peeling paint and grime. The murders are brutal, graphically depicted and unthinkable. And all of this is bookended by stunning opening and closing credits. The opening depicts the murderer’s journals being created with Nine Inch Nails “Closer” as the soundtrack. A precursor perhaps to Director David Fincher and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails collaborating extensively since 2010’s The Social Network. The closing credits play in reverse in what seems another way to represent the decay we have just witnessed. 

The end result is utterly gripping with every component part of the film working together to produce something spectacular. 

This was director David Fincher’s second movie. Now known as one of the most precise filmmakers working today this was his first film where he had final creative control and was able to deliver his vision. Writer Andrew Kevin Walker meanwhile seems to have delivered his two best film scripts for Fincher with The Killer (2023) being the other. 

As for the acting performances they could easily be cited as each of the leads best performances. Morgan Freeman’s world weary, caring detective, Brad Pitt’s naive overzealous rookie, Gwyneth Paltrow’s quietly desperate put upon wife and Kevin Spacey’s unsettling serial killer John Doe are all characters that will stay with you long after the backwards scrolling credits have closed. 

And then there is that perfect ending. It may well have been parodied many times since 1995 but its power remains undiminished. Despite all of the darkness the question of whether good or evil will overcome seems clear to me based on the intentions of our protagonists. 

30 years on Seven is still a masterpiece and I am grateful to have seen it on the big screen.