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Ever since his unfortunate debut with the ever so shitty “Alien 3”, David Fincher has slowly climbed to the top of Hollywood’s A-list of Directors. Long before Christopher Nolan and Darren Aronofsky were playing with our minds, Fincher was dishing out nail biting thrillers that left the viewer at the edge of their seat. Even now, whether he’s directing a dark comedy-thriller (Fight Club), a suspense serial killer drama (Zodiac), an epic period piece (Benjamin Button), or just dialogue driven dramatization (The Social Network), Fincher has always been able to keep the viewers interest, even when testing their patience. And as far as all of Fincher’s films go, Se7en, in my honest opinion, is his masterpiece.

Se7en centers on soon-to-be retired Detective William Somerset and arrogant newbie Detective David Mills. The two despise each other, which is a shame because their both working together on a huge case. The two are tracking down a killer by the name of John Doe. Doe kills his victims using the seven deadly sins. And what are the seven deadly sins? Gluttony, greed, sloth, lust, pride, wrath, and envy. Doe consistantly toys with the two Detectives, even coming close to getting caught, leaving tons of clues behind and hints to what his motivations are. Soon every twist and turn that follows leads to a shocking ending that will leave you thinking about it for days.

The acting in Se7en is truely brilliant. Morgan Freeman delivers another amazing performance as usual and Brad Pitt gives an excellence performance as well. What works so well with these two is their chemistry and the way they play off one another. The two don’t get along very well, which makes their relationship all the more interesting. Their the heart of the whole movie and their both perfect. Gwyneth Paltrow is also very good and, if I say so myself, very hot. Other actors like R. Lee Ermey and Richard Roundtree do well in their smaller roles. However, the best actor in the whole film is the killer himself. Who is it you may ask? Well, I can’t tell you. Part what makes the movie suspenseful is the mystery surrounding the killer. Fincher made the move to keep the actor’s identity a secret in order to maintain the mystery surrounding John Doe. However, the performance leaves an impact.

The visual style of Se7en is very gritty. The movie is shot in very green and grainy coloring, like a lot of Fincher’s other films. The movie relies a lot on its atmosphere. The cinematography is also spectacular. The shots are creative as they range from shots that steadily zoom in and out to shaky cam to create the thrill of a chase.

One of the biggest credits this film deserves is the brilliant screenplay by Andrew David Walker. Every twist and turn is unexpected. I went into this movie knowing the ending. It had been spoiled for me so I was skeptical as to how it affect my viewing of the film. However, like Psycho and The Sixth Sense, Se7en is a film in which even if you know the ending, the film is still just as brilliant. Even in knowing the ending, I could still admire the shocking and disturbing factors of it. The ending is one of the best in cinematic history. It’s an ending that will leave responding with a simple “What the fuck?”

Se7en is often mistakenly viewed as a horror film, but you really shouldn’t label it that. I think a good friend of mine put it best, Se7en is more of an “atmospheric thriller” as opposed to an all out horror film. It has a lot of the gorey and terrifying factors that make a horror movie, but it just doesn’t quite fit in the horror genre.

Overall, Se7en is an absolutely brilliant movie and it’s well deserving of its place on my favorite movies list and on any “Greatest of All Time” list. It’s a film that every movie fan should see. It is very disturbing, however, so if you’re very squeamish, fare warning. Still, Se7en is a masterpiece that restores my faith that Hollywood can still make good movies.