Retrospective Film Review

Seven (1995) • 25 Years Later

Two detectives hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his motives.

The star of David Fincher’s Se7en isn’t Morgan Freeman, or Brad Pitt, or Kevin Spacey: it’s darkness. The darkness of its mood… the overcast darkness of the city where it takes place… the darkness of the squalid interiors where tortured bodies are discovered… and the darkness of the serial killer’s soul.

The villain, seeing himself as an avenger of sin, would argue the same darkness is shared by all the souls in the city — and weary detective William Somerset (Freeman) seems to agree. The only dissidents who believe the world can still be made a good place, are younger cop David Mills (Pitt) who’s been assigned to work with Somerset and, most importantly, his wife Tracy (Gwyneth Paltrow).

But it’s the city and its semi-derelict buildings that dominate more than any character. Somerset, charged with showing new arrival Mills the ropes, is incredulous that he’s voluntarily moved to this place (“you actually fought to get reassigned here?”) Even when the movie finally leaves…