#24 Seven

In Summary

A serial killer, and a detective duo made up of a hotshot and a wiser head who is just about to retire. Seven is a case study of the crime thriller genre.

Set in a grimy unnamed American city, Seven is the story of two detectives attempting to gain the upperhand on a crusading serial killer who looks to be several steps ahead of them.

The use of the seven deadly sins as a framing device introduces a deadly countdown element to the film. With each death, the stakes are raised, time is ticking down. Will our detective duo stop the serial killer, John Doe, in time?

The interplay between the two lead detectives - portrayed by Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman - add further intrigue to the film. Freeman's cool, methodical detective teases apart the clues. Pitt's hotter-head bluster blasts open doors to keep the narrative ticking along.

Despite having a clear direction of travel, Seven is a film that manages to constantly keep its audience guessing.A combination of some truly shocking murder scenes to the serial killer constantly managing to turn the tables on the detectives makes the film unsettlingly unpredictable.

Seven is a film gloomy and macabre enough to entertain the possibility of its villain succeeding, which keeps the audience on its toes right to the very last frame.

A Memorable Quote

Wanting people to listen, you can't just tap them on the shoulder anymore. You have to hit them with a sledgehammer, and then you'll notice you've got their strict attention.

Things You May Not Know

• Denzel Washington turned down the chance to star in the film in Brad Pitt's role, later regretting the decision.
• The dark look to the film was achieved by a process called 'bleach bypass', where the silver in the film stock was not removed.
• It took two years for the screenwriter, Andrew Kevin Walker, to write the film.

One of the Greatest of All Time?
Seven is a film that is incredibly impactful upon first viewing but it weakens once its shock value is taken away. Furthermore, it is a film that has become less remarkable over time - particularly, when compared to a television series such as True Detective which has more time to build tension and develop its characters.

In this day and age, Seven seems a fairly by-the-numbers thriller. Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman play very archetypal, cliched, detective characters. While Kevin Spacey's serial killer is the most compelling part of the film, his motivation for killing is fairly unconvincing.

Seven is worth watching once if you haven't already done so, there is nothing to be gained from repeat viewings.