Se7en (1995)

User Rating:

8.6/10   

Director:

David Fincher

Writer (WGA):

Andrew Kevin Walker (written by)

Release Date:

22 September 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Long is the way, and hard, that out of hell leads up to light.

Plot:

Police drama about two cops, one new and one about to retire, after a serial killer using the seven deadly sins as his MO.

Plot Keywords:

Mixed Alpha Numeric Title | Credits Rolling Down | Greed | Gore | Wrath

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 18 wins & 17 nominations

Cast

Brad Pitt	...	Detective David Mills
Morgan Freeman	...	Detective Lt. William Somerset
Gwyneth Paltrow	...	Tracy Mills
R. Lee Ermey	...	Police Captain
Andrew Kevin Walker	...	Dead Man (as Andy Walker)
Daniel Zacapa	...	Detective Taylor
John Cassini	...	Officer Davis
Bob Mack	...	Gluttony Victim
Peter Crombie	...	Dr. O'Neill
Reg E. Cathey	...	Coroner (as Reginald E. Cathey)
George Christy	...	Workman
Endre Hules	...	Cab Driver
Hawthorne James	...	George, Library Night Guard
William Davidson	...	Library Guard (as Roscoe Davidson)
Bob Collins	...	Library Guard

Also Known As:

Seven (USA) (alternative spelling)
The Seven Deadly Sins (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for grisly afterviews of horrific and bizarre killings, and for strong language.

Runtime:

127 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Portuguese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Israel:16 (re-rating) | USA:R (certificate #33601) | Australia:MA (TV rating) | Philippines:R-18 | Brazil:18 | Finland:K-15 | Argentina:16 | Australia:R | Belgium:KNT | Chile:18 | Denmark:16 | France:-12 | Germany:16 (nf) | Hong Kong:IIB | Iceland:16 | Ireland:18 | Israel:18 (original rating) | Italy:VM14 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:18 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:M18 | Singapore:PG (cut) | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18

Filming Locations:

Alexandria Hotel - 501 S. Spring Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

One version of the script contained a few scenes following the final confrontation between the detectives and John Doe. In one, Somerset is recovering in the hospital after being shot by Mills, and the captain delivers a letter to him from Mills which reads, "You were right. You were right about everything."

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Uneven dispersal of rainfall on the windows of the car.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Police Captain: Neighbors heard them screaming at each other, like for two hours, and it was nothing new. Then they heard the gun go off, both barrels. Crime of passion.
William Somerset: Yea, just look at all the passion on that wall.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Matthew Fox/Tenacious D (#32.7)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Love Plus One

Stand out Thriller thanks to Fine Cast.

A stand out film dealing with a particularly unpleasant Serial Killer, "Se7en" (along with "Silence of the Lambs"), is something of a milestone in this genre. An intelligent script, and admirable actors including the excellent Morgan Freeman, Prad Pitt, Gwenth Paltrow and Kevin Spacey, with a cinema noir style, and very grisly murders representing the Seven Deadly Sins. It is the performances however that lifts this movie above the average, Morgan Freeman as the older world wise detective, Pitt almost manic as his young enthusiastic sidekick, Poltrow plays the wife with a fine degree of sensitivity, and Spacey does his usual brilliant psycho routine. There is a pivotal scene with Freeman and Paltrow in a café which shows the depth of performances here. They are believable characters in a dark disturbing world wherein it always seems to be raining. An effective thriller with tight direction and atmospheric photography.