Morgan Freemanis a legend in the entertainment industry. From his time on the New York City theater scene, to his many iconic performances on film, to his inimitable narration work,Freeman’s legacy in the industry was solidified by the early aughts and only grew from there. The actor is known for taking on complex characters that, in his later years, tend to don a dignified air.
Freeman’s filmography includes such impressive titles asDriving Miss Daisy,The Shawshank Redemption,Batman Begins, andInvictus. Having worked inHollywoodsince the1980s, Freeman has built a legacy with many interesting roles over the years. But none were so engaging as his role in the 1995crime-thriller,Se7en. This perfectly crafted thriller has a legacy all of its own, andthere are reasonsSe7enis Freeman’s best film.
Two detectives, a rookie and a veteran, hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his motives.
10The Screenplay
“I put the script down, and I was ready to go on the set.”
The screenplay is the foundational document for a film. It goes through several iterations, and often has many hands involved in its crafting. Once a workable draft is ready, typically a producer will begin the hunt to find the perfect director to helm the film, whose vision of lighting, symbolism, and performance can bring to the screen what is written on the page. A screenplay can make or break a production, and often during the process of filming there will be revisions required based on location availability, re-shoots, and other requirements.
A screenplay can make or break a production…
Andrew Kevin Walkerdeveloped the screenplay forSe7enafter moving to New York City in the 1980s. Originally written as a speculative script for sale, it was shopped around to different directors, some of whom were set on making significant changes to the conclusion of the screenplay. But, when a youngDavid Fincherwas offered the script, he insisted the original evocative ending be kept as written in the original draft. Which turned out to be felicitous for both the writer and director, because when Freeman read the screenplay he felt motivated to get right to work,tellingThe Guardianin a 2000 interview,“I put the script down, and I was ready to go to set.”
9David Fincher
Fincher signing on to theSe7enwas cinematic kismet. The working relationship between him and the screenplay writer would go on to be a lucrative one, as Fincher and Walker would also team up on future projects likeFight ClubandThe Killer. Speaking about his relationship working with the director,Walker toldThe Talks"it’s a rare thing to have the kind of inclusive collaboration that I had with Fincher."
Se7enwas his next project and truly set the tone for Fincher’s career moving forward.
Fincher cut his teeth in Hollywood by directing the 1992 science-fiction horror filmAlien 3.Se7enwas his next project and truly set the tone for Fincher’s career moving forward. FollowingSe7en, he would go on to direct the dark psychological-thrillerThe Game, before hitting his stride withFight Club,Panic Room, andZodiac. In 2014, when he directedGone Girl, he rounded out histrio of dark crime filmswhere the bad guy gets their way.Fincher is known for his distinctive visual style, dark and atmospheric settings, and his precise attention to detail, qualities which had already solidified even in his early films likeSe7en.
8Detective Lt. William Somerset
“Somerset was the driving force of this story.”
In his interview withThe Guardian, Freeman made no bones about whom he felt the central character inSe7enis:“Somerset was the driving force of this story.“And he couldn’t have been more spot on. Detective Lieutenant William Somerset (Freeman), an aging detective one week from retirement, moves the story forward from the opening scene as he prepares for his first day training his young replacement, Detective David Mills (Brad Pitt).
Somerset’s experience and natural intuition tell him that this case is far from ordinary…
Somerset is jaded about the world and his place in it, whereas Mills is coming onto the scene as an idealist eager to prove himself as a detective.His cocksure attitude rubs Somerset the wrong way, until he gets to see his new trainee’s softer sidethrough the introduction of his beautiful young wife Tracy (Gwyneth Paltrow). As the pair of detectives progress through the shocking set of murders they are investigating, where an unknown killer is targeting individuals for murder that remind him of the seven deadly sins, their original unsociable attitudes turn into a genuine partnership. Somerset’s experience and natural intuition tell him that this case is far from ordinary, andhis determination to stick around until the shocking final moments of the investigation allows him to bear witness to the killer’s twisted plans. He is the central figure in the film, and the driving force in the narrative.
7The Moral Complexity
“We see a deadly sin on every street corner, in every home, and we tolerate it.”
Somerset must understand the motivations of the killers he seeks out, and over time that kind of knowledge weighs on him. The unnamed city where the murders take place is an analog of New York City in the 1980s, where sin and crime seemingly occurred on every street corner. Somerset’s moral dilemma, working in a system that is meant to bring justice but having to resort to illicit means in order to achieve those goals, is central to his character.The thing Somerset despises most is the apathy towards helping people, an apathy that, ironically, has crept into his own perspectiveas he wishes to retire from the city and become more reclusive than ever.
…Doe and Mills have a conversation about the murders, and the killer becomes incensed when Mills refers to his victims as “innocent people.”
This aversion to apathy is shared by the John Doe killer (Kevin Spacey).Doe is preaching through his murders, sending a message to the city that the cardinal sins will be punished, if not by some divine figure, then by Doe himself. In his final act, Doe requests that the detectives take him to the destination where the last two bodies of his killing spree will allegedly be found. On the way, Doe and Mills have a conversation about the murders, and the killer becomes incensed when Mills refers to his victims as “innocent people.” He begins to preach from the backseat of the police vehicle, telling Mills and Somerset, “Only in a world this sh—y could you even try to say these were innocent people and keep a straight face. But that’s the point. We see a deadly sin on every street corner, in every home, and we tolerate it.“This attitude about tolerating sinfulness, ignoring it apathetically, directly parallels Somerset’s own moral dilemma.
6The Allusions
“Long is the way and hard that out of hell leads up to the light.”
There is something about a well-read killer that fascinates Hollywood. Think about the figure of Dr. Hannibal Lecter and the grip he has held on the collective imagination sinceThomas Harris' 1981 crime-thriller novelRed Dragonwas first published. InSe7en, the way that Somerset and Mills are able to locate the killer’s address is through his reading history. Somerset has a connection with the FBI, who have a database of flagged texts checked out from public libraries that might have links to religious fanatics. Through a surreptitious bribe,the detectives are able to cross-reference the titles they know their killer had read to track down his personal address. These literary works are directly mentioned in the film, especiallyDante’sInfernoand the concept of the nine circles of hell, emphasizing the killer’s desire to punish the sinful.
InSe7en, the way that Somerset and Mills are able to locate the killer’s address is through his reading history.
John Milton’s epic poemParadise Lostis also referenced when Somerset finds a note from the killer with the quote “Long is the way and hard that out of hell leads up to the light,” a line Milton cribbed fromVirgil’sAeneid. When the two detectives are looking into the literary works referenced by the killer, Somerset cheekily corrects Mills when he misunderstands the title ofW. Somerset Maugham’s novelOf Human Bondage, suggesting the “bondage” in the title isn’t what he is imagining. This isn’t simply a passing reference, however, since the themes in the novel have to do with the struggle between rational and emotional thought, which directly relates to Somerset’s inability to get Mills to switch into rational mode at the gut-wrenching conclusion of the film. The final line of the film is Somerset quotingErnest Hemingway, who wrote “The world is a fine place and worth fighting for,” with the detective acknowledging he believes in the second part of the statement. When handled with such care as is taken in both the writing and the direction of this film,such literary allusions add depth and meaning to each scene in which they appear.
“I was like, man, it’s just too much.”
There is no arguing with the stellar performances from the all-star cast ofSe7en. Despite not being revealed as the killer until the later scenes in the movie, Spacey’s chilling performance as John Doe is, in part, what makes the film so memorable.Freeman and Pitt bounce off of each other in every scene, perfectly embodying the detectives learning each other’s investigative style as the viewers learn their characters. And Paltrow’s performance as Tracy, and the character’s ultimate fate, has been seared into the cultural imagination.
The film is also filled with great character actors in minor roles.Leland Orseras the shaken man who was held captive by Doe as part of his plan to punish the sin of lust is a profoundly memorable performance.R. Lee Ermeyplays the police captain in charge of Detective Mills and Somerset,with his typical gruff persona. Other notable names were considered for the lead roles, butmany A-list stars eventually passed on the screenplay because of its grim tone.Denzel Washingtonwas seriously considered for the role of Mills, but he eventually passed on the film,saying of its grim tone, “I was like, man, it’s just too much.” Arguably, this worked out for the best, as Pitt broke out of his golden boy image in Hollywood, which allowed him to delve into a deep and profound performance as Mills.
4The Title Sequence
“Just like an animal.”
The opening title sequence of a film can often be a simple affair, with credits appearing over a montage of footage that subtly links back to the film. But inSe7en, each moment of the eerie title sequence draws the viewer slowly into the dark apathy of the film, introducing the inner workings of the film’s killer and setting the tone from the very first instant. Although John Doe does not appear physically in the film until the later scenes,his presence is felt immediately through the creepy opening visuals.
…Each moment of the eerie title sequence draws the viewer slowly into the dark apathy of the film…
The gritty tone of the title sequence is enhanced by the musical score. The sequence is set to a grim remix of theNine Inch Nailssong “Closer,” an industrial rock track that plays with echoes and feedback. The founder of NIN,Trent Reznor, would go on to collaborate with Fincher on several film projects over the years, butSe7enmarked the first time the pair came together. Reznor’s lyrics were not included as the title sequence required an instrumental version, but “just like an animal” is a refrain throughout the song,tying in to the ominous themes of sin and human nature. The audio, paired with the images and writings in John Doe’s notebooks, set the tone for the film from the first moments. WithSe7en, Fincher and the sequence designerKyle Coopercollaborated in order to integrate the opening titles fully into the themes and atmosphere of the film.
“What I’ve done is going to be puzzled over and studied and followed… forever.”
John Doe stands alone among the many fictional killers found in film. The world Fincher creates in his unnamed city is almost phantasmagorical, as each character slips further into the world as Doe sees it. Although his physical presence isn’t established until later scenes,Doe’s influence hovers over every moment in the film.
John Doe stands alone among the many fictional killers found in film.
Doe demonstrates a quiet confidence by walking into a police station covered in blood from his most recent victim, only to calmly call out to Detective Mills and Somerset to initiate his arrest and the final leg of his tightly composed plan. The reveal that Doe had been inserting himself into the investigation, as serial killers are known to do, by posing as a member of the press to take photographs of the scene, adds a layer of realism amid the carnivalesque scenes of gore and punishment.As the film plummets toward its inevitable conclusion, each moment builds towardDoe’s ultimate victory over the investigators.
2The Legacy
“The most thrillingly stupid fix in the world.”
Initially, many people in Hollywood felt that the film was too grim in tone to be a commercial success.But, Fincher’s faith in the screenplay and his vision for the film has paid off in spades. In fact, for a crime-thriller to have the kind of lasting legacy thatSe7enhas achieved is pretty remarkable in cinematic history.Se7enhas had such sustained popularity among viewers that for the film’s 30th anniversary in January 2025 it was re-released in theaters. First, however, Fincher had to go back to edit the film in order to adapt it to 4K.
…For a crime-thriller to have the kind of lasting legacy thatSe7enhas achieved is pretty remarkable in cinematic history.
Fincher spoke withColliderabout that process, revealing thateven when going over a film with a 30-year-old legacy, a director can still find moments he would have liked to tweak in the original cut. In a scene when the two detectives are discussing their case together in a bar, Fincher talks about the frustration of choosing the cut that includes the director’s favorite performance from an actor, without being able to address a “technological malfeasance” that occurred. The original cut of the film included an unwanted pan, or camera movement, just because that particular take of the scene had the actor’s best performance. In the 4K restoration,Fincher was able to utilize the advances in AI technology in order to stabilize the shot, a process which the director called “the most thrillingly stupid fix in the world.”
“What’s in the box?”
The shocking conclusion inSe7enplays a significant role in its legacy. Which is why it is so surprising that Fincher had to fight to keep the original ending in the final cut. John Doe concludes his run of murders by killing Tracy, due to his own envy of Detective Mill’s simple life with his pretty wife. The killer thus hoped to provoke Mills to shoot him by having Tracy’s severed head arrive in a delivery box,forcing the detective to embody the final sin of wrath as he murders the man who he was supposed to bring to justice.
Mills was the idealist, the character who refused to follow Doe’s twisted logic the way his jaded partner could…
By embodying wrath, the seventh sin, Mills is doing more than avenging his dead wife.He is fulfilling Doe’s plan, giving him the final victory over the side of morality and justice, since the good guys don’t win in the end. Doe will never face the justice system for his crime, and now, in a reversal of fortunes, Mills will be the one to face disciplinary action. Mills was the idealist, the character who refused to follow Doe’s twisted logic the way his jaded partner could, and through his continual refusals he became the perfect symbol for Doe’s final revenge. Mills losing his moral high ground and stooping to the sin of wrath, and the crime of murder, proves Doe’s point that no one is above sin. Doe also got one over on Somerset, whose apathetic plans to retire are put on hold as he assures his captain he will “be around” to assist Detective Mills however he can, with the final Hemingway quotation implying thatalthough Somerset still does not believe the world to be a “fine place,” he has been shocked back into fighting for it.
