Seven
realeased 1995
https://www.ink2quill.com/

“Seven” is a neo-noir, horror, thriller with elements of psychological thriller. It was produced by Arnold Kopelson and Phyllis Carlyle and was directed by David Fincher. It was written by Andrew Kevin Walker and stars Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Spacey, Daniel Zacapa, Andrew Kevin Walker, John Cassini, Bob Mack, Peter Crombie, Reg E. Cathey, R. Lee Ermey, George Christy, Endre Hules, Hawthorne James, William Davidson, Gregory Fennell, Arthur Max, Richard Schiff, Shannon Wilcox and any others.

Seven IMDb website

“Seven” is the story of detective William Somerset, played by Morgan Freeman, who is working his last case before he retires, and boy, is it a grizzly one. He pairs up with the rookie David Mills, played by Brad Pitt to solve the case and both detectives could not be any more different. Mills is short green and somewhat impulsive while Somerset is level headed, thorough and very experienced. Mills is eager to do a job he believes in while Somerset has grown apathetic over the years. I suspect that in the case of Somerset his job slowly sucked his faith in people out of him. He talks about how things have changed, presumably for the worst in their town and he was ready to retire. Even though both detectives have opposing views on life they work more or less well together and Somerset is able to teach the tricks of the trade to Mills. Now it´s important to note that the world of the movie is a dingy one with old buildings, overcast skies and constant rain. Keep in mind too that there are no computers, cell phones or internet because this movie was made mid 90s. People use typewriters and consult paper libraries. All these elements add to the feeling of dread that permeates the story. The detectives chase a serial killer who chooses his victims according to the seven deadly sins, like a depraved preacher giving a sermon. The detectives soon learn that the serial killer has been carefully planning his crimes over the course of years which leaves me with some questions about the chilling ending of the story.

“Seven” is a journey through the mind of a criminally insane person who plans and commits horrible crimes. He dedicated his life to his crimes writing his crimes in thousands of diary entries. This is a disturbing story that had me shocked through the whole story until the very end… and after. This is a good film if you like the horror genre and you want a good scare. I loved the seasoned, level headed demeanor of Somerset who seemed to be the only source of reason in that insane World. Mills´wife Tracy, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, was another good character with a good head on her shoulders who, like Somerset, doesn´t like the city. Otherwise all other characters in this film were bonkers. The two stable characters Somerset and Tracy Mills are the ones who wanted to leave.

Let me clarify, detective Mills is more impulsive and not really crazy. He is already a jaded cop like when he pays a desperate addict to provide a false testimony to police after a chase with the serial killer. However, Mills is a person who still believes in people and believes he can help make a difference in the world. That makes him very sane and even likeable in spite of his misdeeds and his mildly corrupt behavior. I wonder if the ending of the story were different? Would he end up like Somerset? Would his job have turned him apathetic to the problems of his city and the world?

One thing I really liked about Somerset was how skilled he was at doing his job. He is what you call a good cop who would not falsify reports or bribe people to give false testimonies. He is thorough and resourceful and mostly seems like the kind of person who respects civil liberties. And that is probably why some of his colleagues do not like him. There is a strange disrespect in the precinct toward Somerset at his job. Nobody is asking him to stay or even cares he is retiring. Maybe he complained about corruption in the department and ignored the Blue Wall of Omerta that exists among police. Maybe he was falsely accused of something he did not do and so faces hostility, bullying of some of his colleagues. I cannot say exactly for sure what it is.

One thing is for sure about Somerset is that he is a man who holds certain false beliefs and lives his life by those false beliefs. He is not a hateful person but he does hold false beliefs that hold him tightly like in a vice grip. Mills is too but it is far more obvious and deeper with Somerset. Somerset’s false belief that people are just no good and that that cannot be changed. This is a common theme in stories where a character holds false beliefs and how they either grow and shed those beliefs or stay stuck in their state of misery. The interesting thing here is that Somerset gradually starts to shed those beliefs being around Mills and Mills grows as a person too being around Somerset. Truth be told, I loved their relationship. Good job on the writers.

Check this grizzly tale. It’s very gruesome but the story is very good.

Written by John Ink2Quill

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