Se7en

Summary

“You’re no messiah. You’re a movie of the week.”

In 1995, David Fincher’s Se7en hit theaters. The film was largely met with critical acclaim and fully showed off Fincher’s capabilities as a filmmaker. I would argue that this moody police procedural is actually a genre-defining film. Its influence can still be felt today. Se7en gave Morgan Freeman a career in serial killer police procedural films (he starred in Kiss the Girls and Along Came the Spider afterward,) confirmed again the immense talent of Brad Pitt, and crafted one of the most memorable villains in Kevin Spacey’s John Doe. The influence of the picture was apparent immediately in lesser pictures such as The Bone Collector which followed directly after, but I would argue it is also the reason why shows like C.S.I. were green lighted (which led to a million similar shows and largely killed the theatrical experience for the police procedural.) Andrew Kevin Walker’s script was a nasty piece of work that explored disturbing ideas. It was meant to be shocking and visceral. The picture portrays a grimy rain-soaked city which is never named. The film was made in Los Angeles but it might as well be Chicago, or Washington D.C., or New York under the supervision of cinematographer Darius Khondji and production designer Arthur Max. Their aim of crafting an oppressive unnamed Gotham was a stunning success. Audiences obviously responded to the film, because the picture grossed $327 million against a $34 million dollar budget. I have been a fan of Se7en since I first saw it and I could think of few films from that era that were as deserving of a 4K release. 

Detective William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) is a week away from retirement. The city in which he has worked is violent and the years on the force have worn on him. Detective David Mills (Brad Pitt) is assigned to work with Somerset. Mills has just moved to the city with his wife Tracy (Gwyneth Paltrow.) He has worked five years in Homicide in another city, but specifically requested to transfer to where the action really is. He is somewhat brash and less experienced than Somerset. On Monday, the detectives are called to a grotesque crime scene where an obese man has been forced to eat food until his stomach exploded killing him. This is the first of a string of murders related to the seven sins. As the detectives investigate the murders, they draw closer to catching the serial killer John Doe, who also is paying attention to their investigation.

In 1995, I was ten years old. I remember my older sister coming back from the movie theaters and saying she had just watched the most gruesome vile movie. She absolutely hated Se7en and claimed it was disgusting. This shrouded the film in mystery for me and made me even more excited to check it out. If memory serves me correctly, it was four years later that I managed to get the film on VHS. I thought it was brilliant from the first time I saw it.

David Fincher had worked as a high-profile music video director with artists like George Michael before he had come onboard to direct Alien³. That picture suffered from studio interference and was a setback for the filmmaker’s career. Se7en was a triumph for Fincher both critically (despite some disparing the picture) and commercially. People may not have been able to guess the impact the film would have back then, but Hollywood took notice immediately. A picture generates almost ten times its budget off of a serial killer police procedural script? The studios went into production with copycat films immediately and then, having the formula down, Hollywood moved towards making those types of stories on the small screen. I miss the days of big-budget theatrical police procedurals, but the age of N.C.I.S. and C.S.I. basically killed the viability of those types of pictures on the big screen. Denzel tried his best to resurrect the genre with The Little Things in 2021, but unfortunately that movie’s script was weak and it failed to gain a following. 

Se7en has an excellent script by Andrew Kevin Walker. Walker would go on to work on uncredited rewrites for Fincher’s films The Game and Fight Club. (In Fight Club pay attention to the names of the detectives that try to castrate Ed Norton – Detectives Andrew, Kevin, and Walker.) He also had great success with his reimagining of the Sleepy Hollow story in Sleepy Hollow directed by the great Tim Burton. He most recently wrote he script for The Killer which reunited him once again with Fincher. Se7en is his greatest achievement as a writer to this point because of its strong sense of tension, great character development, disturbing crime scenes, and unforgettable climax. Anyone who has seen the film has never forgotten it. It was a case of good luck that Fincher actually received this script at all. Walker had been working with another director whom had forced him to change the ending of the picture, which would have effectively destroyed the film. When that director left to pursue another project, the original version of the script was accidentally sent to Fincher, and he only agreed to do the film if he could preserve Walker’s original vision. Can you imagine how different the legacy of the film would be with a neutered ending? We probably would not even be talking about Se7en if that had occurred.

David Fincher is one of my favorite filmmakers. Fight Club has been one of my favorite films since I first saw it in 1999 when I was fourteen. Se7en helped to create the visual aesthetic that would define Fincher’s work. Working with cinematographer Darius Khondji, Fincher crafted a world full of shadows which would have made Gordon Willis smile. In The Game, Fight Club, and numerous other Fincher projects, cinematographer Jeff Cronenwerth carried the torch, but Khondji’s work with Fincher helped establish his look. Fincher is meticulous and worked hand in hand with production designer Arthur Max to make sure the crime scenes and even a library set in the film matched the vision he had for the picture. For Fincher, it is about small details that add up to a bigger whole and I have always found that this approach has led to strong films. On top of the great cinematography, production design, and direction, the film benefits from a fantastic score by Howard Shore. It hits all the right notes to set the stage for a dreary and suspenseful experience. The film’s introductory credits also features a remixed version of Nine Inch Nail’s “Closer,” which works very well. That introductory sequence has been mimicked several times since.

Morgan Freeman completely nails the role of William Somerset. Freeman has a unique ability to bring an air of wisdom to his roles, and he looks the part. He is exceptional in the film. He could not have done a better job. Brad Pitt is similarly well cast as Detective David Mills. Brad Pitt is an extremely talented actor who had to work diligently to shrug off the notion that he was just a pretty face. Pitt has been one of my favorite actors for years, and he excels in the role of the brash young detective. Kevin Spacey has been canceled for good reason, but that does not change the fact that he was an exceptional actor in his heyday. His performance as John Doe helped to cement his reputation as a strong presence on film. He is creepy and convincing in the film. Gwyneth Paltrow is charming in her role as Tracy. Smaller parts are handled by numerous wonderful character actors including R. Lee Ermey, Reg E. Cathey, Richard Roundtree, John C. McGinley, and Leland Orser.

Se7en is a perfectly executed police procedural thriller, and stands as one of the best films of the Nineties. If you have not seen the picture, do yourself a favor and check it out.

Video

As one would expect, David Fincher oversaw the brand new 4K transfer of the film. Sourced from an 8K scan, Fincher made sure that the transfer stayed true to the color palette that we have seen in prior releases. With an aspect ratio of 2.39:1, depth and clarity are excellent, with the shadows and grain of the film fully present. The grain has been extremely well resolved, but it is still there. This transfer came under a little fire for Fincher doing some very minor CGI tweaks to the film, but I honestly did not notice anything at all. I think for most viewers this will be the case, but some purists will have a field day about it and will fail to enjoy the absolutely gorgeous 4K transfer because of it. For myself, this 4K release is a revelation. The HDR is never overdone, and the film’s original look is completely preserved, the picture just looks more detailed and impressive. I love Darius Khondji’s cinematography on Se7en and this is the best way to experience it by far.

Audio

In 2010, the Blu-ray featured DTS-HD MA 7.1 audio, whereas the 4K has DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio. From the outside looking in, this sounds like a downgrade, but that is not actually the case. The DTS-HD MA 5.1 was specifically crafted for home theater use whereas the 7.1 was not overseen by the same technicians. The expanded field caused some issues, so the 4K UHD relies on the preferred track. The DTS-HD MA 5.1 track is strong and sounds better than ever. That said, an Atmos upgrade could have made an impressive track even better. 

Supplements

Warner has ported all of the relevant supplements over from the 2010 Blu-ray with the exception of a few supplements that were specific to work done for that release. The supplements themselves are of very high quality with many dating back to New Line Cinema’s excellent DVD set.

•Audio Commentaries

• • The Stars: David Fincher, Brad Pitt, and Morgan Freeman
  • The Story: Richard Dyer, Andrew Kevin Walker, Richard Francis-Bruce, Michael de Luca, and David Fincher
  • The Picture: Darius Khondji, Arthur Max, Richard Francis-Bruce, and David Fincher
  • The Sound: Ren Klyce, Howard Shore, and David Fincher
• Deleted Scenes  – with optional commentary
• Alternate Ending – Also includes optional animated storyboards and a commentary
• Production Design
• Still Galleries – With commentary by photographer Melodie McDaniel.
• Theatrical EPK 
• Mastering for Home Theater 
• Exploration of the Opening Title Sequence – With optional commentaries by designer Kyle Cooper and with Brant Biles and Robert Margouleff.

Overall Scores:

Video – 5/5

Audio – 4.5/5

Supplements – 4.5/5

Overall – 5/5

Se7en changed the game completely for police procedurals and was extremely influential. All the serial killer films and police procedural shows that followed its release borrowed elements from Se7en. It remains one of my favorite thrillers from the Nineties, and ranks highly for me in the list of films by accomplished filmmaker David Fincher. I think it is essentially a perfect film, and the conclusion of the picture sticks with all those who have seen it. The cinematography by Darius Khondji mixed with the score by Howard Shore brought to life David Fincher’s meticulous vision. The script by Andrew Kevin Walker is extremely strong. Often imitated, but never bested, I beleive it to be the genre-defining police procedural. The talented cast includes Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kevin Spacey. The Warner 4K is exceptional in every way (although an Atmos track would have been appreciated,) and earns our most enthusiastic recommendation.