As you may have guessed from the title, this is the first entry in what I hope to make an ongoing series talking about my favorite movies. With “Mindhunter” season two coming out last month, I thought it would be fun to look back at another serial killer story from director David Fincher: 1995’s crime thriller “Se7en.”
On the surface, “Se7en” seems like another ordinary genre movie. We have the old, experienced detective (Morgan Freeman) forced to partner up with the arrogant rookie (Brad Pitt). It is an old trope, but the movie pulls it off thanks to great performances from the two leads, a smart screenplay, and careful direction.
The two detectives are on the trail of a vicious serial killer inspired by the seven deadly sins. He would kill a severely overweight person to check off gluttony before moving on to a corrupt politician for greed, for example.
“Se7en” has my favorite climax of any movie I have ever seen. It is the part anyone who has seen the movie will remember years later. It is so good, in fact, that it works almost to the detriment of the rest of the film. You will be on the edge of your seat with your mouth agape. Everything comes together so perfectly.
I can imagine some will not appreciate the oppressively bleak tone of the movie. However, I believe there is some small glimmer of hope at its heart. To quote the film itself: “Ernest Hemingway once wrote, ‘The world is a fine place and worth fighting for.’ I agree with the second part.”
“Se7en” is currently available to watch on Hulu, and I cannot recommend it enough.
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