David Fincher has been a prolific director who has made a lot of projects in different genres throughout his career. However, he made a breakthrough, when he made Alien 3, though the film did not make a major impact at the box office his film style and vision left a lasting influence on the viewers and critics.
However, everyone was taken aback, when he made his next film, Se7en which featured Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman in the lead roles. The film did not belong to a crime thriller or horror genre but it was an amalgamated form of different genres. The film had arguably the biggest plot twist at the end, and it was so scary that the audience had a difficult time watching it on the big screen.
David Fincher’s Daunting Approach for Se7en Petrified The Viewers
David Fincher’s Se7en has to be one of the best detective movies that gives us the perfect premise, featuring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, as a two-man team, it is a perfect thriller that will appeal to its viewer. The film is talking about the Seven Deadly Sins, and its villain is something that makes the film even better, as he is a man of strong beliefs and a firm believer in his ideology.
One of the most appealing things about the film was how it featured a timeless quality of mystery of time and location that has appealed to many people. The rain adds to the film’s mystery and the psychological manipulation makes it one of the best horror-mystery films that features Fincher’s masterful storytelling.
But what made the film so appealing was not how the film decided to play on the fears of human beings and continuously combine two genres. The film goes above the mere presence of a serial killer, and it is clear that John Doe, the antagonist of the film has a vendetta against humanity giving him a sense of purpose to commit crimes.
Coming up with such a dark, and twisted storyline is not a child’s play. During an exclusive interview with Mark Salisbury in 1996 via DepressedBergman (@DannyDrinksWine), Fincher talks about his unique approach that made the film so grim and timeless classic among movie enthusiasts. He said,
I wanted Se7en (1995) to be tough. First you thought it was gonna be a cop movie, then you thought it was gonna be a thriller, & then at the end it’s really a horror movie—It’s the f**king Exorcist, you don’t have any control over this.
Indeed, Fincher refrained from having any control over the film because the film not only focused on exploring the world of crime and gruesome violence but also focused on much more complex themes. Featuring ideas like religious judgment, and complex morality, allows the viewers to judge the good and bad characters in the film
Fans Praise David Fincher For Creating His Greatest Film
Even though it was uncertain how the horror-crime-thriller would do on its initial release, it did phenomenally outstanding because according to The Numbers $328.1 million at the worldwide box office.
Naturally, fans loved the film and they would often return to watch the film that has aged like a fine wine.
Yeah, and for those reasons it’s one roller coaster of a movie.
Fincher nailed this one.
— CINETRON (@CINETRONN) May 26, 2024
I consider this Film to be the greatest Horror Film ever.
The Gore is never showed, only hinted at, it's more terrifying to imagine what the killer did.
Se7en and True Detective Season 1 are Peak Detective Neo Noir Horror Media.— Sardaukar69 (@Sardaukar69) May 27, 2024
I remember seeing it in the theatre in 1995. It was a full house and when it was over we all walked out in complete silence. pic.twitter.com/PPeRJBq4WK
— Sean (@SeanACanadian) May 26, 2024
IMHO Se7en can be best read as twisted and deranged version of the medieval morality plays, at least that is what the heavy use of Christian religious metaphors suggested to me. One of absolute all time favourites.
— Abhijit (@Avizeat) May 27, 2024
Ironically given Spacey’s real life arc his character in Seven feels even more horrific as time goes on.
— Sans visage (@QuantaWave) May 26, 2024
The film changed the crime-thriller genre as it became a blueprint for many films and TV Series that actively copied the film’s style and premise. However, none of them could manage to come close to the original film’s popularity, making them a blatant copy of the original idea.
Se7en can be rented on Apple TV.
