Film: Seven (Se7en)
Cast includes: Brad Pitt (Inglorious Basterds), Morgan Freeman (Invictus), Gwyneth Paltrow (Sylvia), Kevin Spacey (Beyond the Sea)
Direction: David Fincher (Alien 3)
Genre: Extremely dark suspense thriller (1995)
In brief: “This guy ain’t breathing unless he’s breathing spaghetti sauce.” Yep. He’s dead all right. Seriously dead. He ate until he burst. He was tied up and force-fed. It’s Monday. This is Detective Somerset’s last week on the job… and Detective Mills’s first week. Mills actually wanted this assignment, which Somerset will never understand. On Tuesday, there’s another murder. This one bled to death, and the word “greed” was written on the floor in blood. When Somerset is given a vial of plastic pieces found in the stomach of Monday’s victim, he returns to the murder scene. On closer examination, Somerset finds that there’s something behind the refrigerator. It’s the word “gluttony.” This confirms what Somerset fears, “This is only the beginning. You can expect 5 more of these.”
It’s the Seven Deadly Sins, and we still have sloth, wrath, pride, lust and envy. Somerset heads to the library to do some research. Mills has no patience for this lunatic. “Don’t call him a lunatic. It’s dismissive,” Somerset warns. Somerset and Mills couldn’t be more different. Somerset is serious and thoughtful. Mills is impatient and brash. When the going gets difficult, Mills makes smartass remarks. Somehow, even before things really heat up, we have an uneasy, queasy feeling about Mills and his smart mouth. It’s Somerset who really puts this case into perspective. “You know this isn’t going to have a happy ending.” Truer words have never been spoken.
When I first watched this movie, I couldn’t wait for it to be over. To say it gave me the creeps would be an understatement. But something drew me back to watch it again. The crimes, of course, are creepy… but that’s only the beginning. The locations are creepy. The lighting is creepy. The music is creepy. The weather is creepy. Even the credits are creepy. As one spectacularly creepy crime is followed by another spectacularly creepy crime, it’s easy to think there’s no place to go with this plot line. But you’d be wrong. This movie is definitely NOT for everyone. But it does have a following because of the artistry and perfection of the creepiness… not just the visuals but also the emotional journey, as well.
4 popped kernels
Popped kernels for dark suspense, great acting and an excellent script. Absolutely everything about this movie is creepy. If you enjoy movies that make your skin crawl, they don't get any better than this.
