31 Days of Halloween Films #30: Se7en
The Lowdown: Detectives Somerset (Morgan Freeman) and rookie Mills (Brad Pitt) get the bad luck of working a case involving some of the most grizzly, sinister and creative murders in recent memory. With Somerset set to retire soon, the detectives find themselves embroiled in a game of wits with an incredibly dangerous and intelligent adversary.
The Breakdown: I know this list has really been all over the map these past days, going everywhere from Rosemary’s Baby to The Thing, but I couldn’t do this column without including Se7en. Horror takes many forms and I don’t know of many films as brutally disturbing as this one. With a script so brilliant it could very well have been forged in the fires of Mount Doom, Se7en is an absolute masterwork of its genre, defying the conventions and familiar beats of similar thrillers. There are ideas and story elements so dark that I cringe just thinking about them, ensuring Se7en’s lasting legacy and power as a film. Be warned that the rest of this review is spoilery as fuck, so if you haven’t seen this movie, for fuck’s sake, do not read past here.
If I were to sum up my feelings about this film in a word it would be satisfaction. Every sub plot, every plot detail, every minor contrivance is there for a reason, creating a wholly realized and perfect story from start to finish. Freeman’s performance as Somerset is subtle, nuanced and expertly executed. His demeanor and cadence feels so lived in, so full of regret and remorse, and if some of his other cases resembled the one we follow in Se7en, you can understand why. His emotional anchor plays well off of Pitt’s Detective Mills, the fresh, slightly naive rookie out to nab the bad guy. Pitt never takes the easy route with his character to make him a brash and youthful picture of idealism. Instead, the inclusion of Gwyneth Paltrow as his wife exposes hints about Mills, such as his eagerness to move to the city and try to make a difference against her wishes, make him a more fascinating and, ultimately, more tragic hero.
Se7en has an incredible ace in the hole in Kevin Spacey. Giving what I believe to be his strongest performance ever as John Doe, Spacey’s collected, calm and pitch black performance is brief but incredibly effective. Spacey proves here why he is one of the best actors out there, making a simple explanation of his acts into a terrifying confession. Andrew Kevin Walker’s script brilliantly builds all its’ tension and emotion towards the climactic moments of the film, expertly gut-punching the audience with nothing more than a conversation about “WHAT’S IN THE BOX?!?!”. It is a great movie moment, full of heart wrenching emotion and genuine sorrow for Mills’s situation. The absolute brilliance of Walker’s script is not full realized until this climax, but when Does’ plan is revealed it is nothing short of masterful.
The Comedown: David Fincher is a pro, we all know this, but Se7en is probably his greatest achievement as a filmmaker. Probably. Se7en is easily one of the best horror films ever made, even if people don’t like to admit it. Any movie with grizzly murders based off of religious fanaticism, undead zombie guys decaying in a bed and heads in boxes is a horror film, no question. Halloween is a time to explore all angles that horror films can come from and Se7en provides a uniquely satisfying one.