Se7en (1995)

 

After working on Alien 3, Fincher was down in the dumps, having lost all motivation to make another film. However a script about a serial killer found it's way to him, and rekindled his passion for film making. Without Se7en, we might not have gotten Fight Club or The Social Network, but who knows?

Brad Pitt (Mills) stars opposite Morgan Freeman (Somerset), the former a detective who just arrived in New York, and the latter his jaded counterpart who has grown cynical of the city and it's vices. A new case has arrived, and it's as grotesque as can be. Mills and Somerset get to work, but things aren't as simple as they seem.

Despite the gorey nature of Se7en, there aren't lurid displays of violence by the perpetrator. We see only what the detectives see, and by extension have just as much knowledge as them. As the clues reveal themselves, it is the sadism and cruelty that inflicts uneasiness. It is the meticulousness of the serial killer, and the god complex that's displayed. The hunt turns into a game, and the detectives seem to always be one step behind.

I don't particularly think that Freeman's performance in this is stellar. He still seems to lean toward his usual laid back self, but he plays the rational counterpart to Pitt's impulsive nature. Their on screen chemistry is tangible and together they make the film work. Spacey's screen time isn't a lot, but he really does come across as a creep (and uhh art imitates life?).

So once again, I thank Se7en for pushing Fincher's career to new heights and paving the way for the films that came after.