Se7en (1995) - Film Analysis 

Seven is one of the greatest psychological thriller movies of all time. The story, music, images, astomphere, images, tension, performance's, and cinematography was outstanding and incredible. The tone and element was dark, gritty, urban, raw, graphic, and explicit which works perfectly for the movie. Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt did a phenomenal and spectacular job portraying William Somerset And David Mills as they both put tons of emotion and depth into their roles. It was decent. To this day the ending still gives me chills and goosebumps due to it's dark and heart-wrenching conclusion as it gives a insightful and articulate representation of how true evil wins 😰😱 and I still watch it and I consider it a classic. It never gets old. 😍💯😎👍

I disagree about Mills being convicted of murdering Doe. The only ones out there were the three in the car and the team in the copter. Sommerset says at the end “whatever he needs” Mills committed a crime of passion in a state of extreme emotional and mental distress. And since there were no other witnesses around, I’m certain they’d spin it to where Mills acted in self defense, or Doe killed himself. They wouldn’t give Doe the satisfaction of revealing to the world that his master plan worked

Even with Gwyneth Paltrow’s limited screen time, I never once thought she brought the film down. She brought humanity and realness to the film (and as you point out finally brings Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman’s characters together mid 2nd Act)

One of my top 10 films EVER. It shocked me to my core

Thank You all so much for your support. My latest videos haven't been doing so great views-wise but I've certainly had a great time making them and I do feel like I've improved in my video making. If you read this, let me know in the comments if you liked this video and what reviews you would like to see me discuss?!

The truly horrifying part of the film, to me, was SLOTH. Being tortured for a year, hand cut off, pumped full of every drug against your will, chewing your own tongue off, and having to live out the rest of days in misery. SLOTH was getting a preemptive dose of hell. Slow and painful. Chilling.

“An extremely beautiful film about something absolutely horrible” brilliant 👏🏽

It’s a shame that Kevin Spacey won’t be remembered as a great actor most people will remember him for the false allegations that he has now been proven innocent of but his acquittal didn’t get nearly as much coverage as his allegation did so he will be remembered as “”oh that guy who did something wrong”” not even remembering what it was he was accused of.

Great video mate. Couple things to add John is a dark mirror of both Mills and Summerset. He is calm, intelligent, precise and patient like Summerset yet he is passionate, emotive and looking to change the world like Mills. I think a big part of why Summerset stayed on the force is because he found his apathy to remind him of John. I agree the lack of visual gore is a masterclass. Actual gore shocks initially but you can desensitise upon repeat views. The lust murder gets worse every time I watch. Another layer of realisation hits me every time I see that scene and it's truly awful. Tracy is a great addition to the film. She is the one person not corrupted by the city. She feels like the 1 ray of light in a dark cave and adds contrast to literally the rest of the film.

Great analysis. You're right about the shaky cam. It's used in a fresh exciting way, whereas nowadays it mostly feels cliched and manipulative. I disagree though about Mills going to jail. The captain says "we'll take care of him," implying they will figure out some way to keep him outta jail. The only people present are cops. Edited: they were probably recording the audio, but I still think they'd shield him from prosecution.

Great insights!! Love your channel!

I need to learn how to make video essays, this is amazing

amazing review, would love to hear your take on the silence of the lambs!

Very informative & you’re a pretty good narrator 🔥

Towards the end of the movie, right before they take John Doe into the desert, there is the scene where the Pitt and Freeman shave their chests so they can get mic’d up. Pitt’s character starts to say something to Freeman and then stops himself. Can anyone explain why that moment in the scene exists? Because I feel that it’s quite profound, and David Fincher lets it hang in the air for a few seconds. But I can’t put my finger on why, and no exaggeration it has bugged me for YEARS

Great video. This is also one of my all-time faves.

No jury would convict him of killing John Doe. It’s a “crime of passion” and more times then not, the “killer” gets no jail time in this circumstance.

The slow burn atmospheric beginning is the best ive experienced

Se7en & Manhunter - I always watch both together.

how does your channel not have many many more followers and views? The quality is great, damn algorithm! Keep going, I hope you'll get your breakthrough!

Hello everyone, I am extremely thankful this video is finding a strong audience.🚨@10:15 I made a slight mistake - instead of saying “unborn” I said “newborn” I’ve been corrected on that by a few of you. At the time of posting this, the video is nearing 50,000 views & I couldn’t be happier! I am writing 2 new film essays to be posted during 2024. Stay Tuned…

As a teenager little details like finger of the trigger and the 1911 pistol press check near the end already got to me (as well how Pitt actually hold the gun which is now pretty much the norm but no back then), even tho I only learned about all this stuff later in the military and in online forums.

This film is very cerebral, and it asks a very interesting question when it ends, how are we not to sin in this world ? we constantly get instructed and judged by our sins, either it’s from our loved ones, our authority figures, by total strangers, our priests but yet there’s never instruction on how not to be a sinner, and Brad Pitts character is faced with this predicament at the end, he knows it’s gonna be a sin to murder this person but at the same time how does he not murder this person for doing what he’s done to his wife, how could anybody possibly accept this situation and stand down from it. I feel that the climax of this film resonates with a lot of people and David Fincher did a very effective job in bringing us viewers to ponder upon it afterwards.

@10:15 "Mills' life is completely ruined by the death of his wife and newborn child." His child wasn't newborn. It was unborn.

What’s the most shocking is that your video does a great job of breaking down such a complex movie in just eleven minutes.

I am actually glad that I grew up before the Age of the Internet. So many movies have been spoiled through thumbnails and memes alone, that it's kinda sad. I didn't see "Se7en" until it hit home video and it *still* hadn't been spoiled for me! That ending had me floored! I couldn't even accept what was actually in the box because it was just too appalling! It was this movie and "The Usual Suspects" that made me a fan of Kevin Spacey for almost a decade. In the late 2000s I started paying attention to directors, and he dropped off my radar after that.

The pizza parlor mirrors the Lust scene with Stinky Man = Proprietor Behind Glass man. Pitt is the John and Somerset the antagonizer. The pizza swiped was the wounded genitalia and the line "By all means, help yourself" confirms it. This is soooo much more dark than most recognize

Nice essay, thank you.

I think it is time that Seven is recognized as the best film of its genre. It surpasses the standard of Psycho on every level. The acting is top notch. The cinematography is so good you feel like you are in the scene. And of course Kevin Spacey steals the movie in his role.

Great job, man!

“Many critics believe this scenes drag the film down, but I don’t think it slows down the films pace because they feel needed for us to piece everything together for the finale.” (05:03) True enough, but for me, the more important purpose is so that we actually care about the characters. Those scenes are essential for building an emotional connection, especially with Mills and Tracy. Mills at work is insufferably stubborn and wildly overconfident; when we see him at home, it’s much easier to care about him. We like Tracy, though, before we even see her, thanks to how Somerset responds to their first phone conversation. We can tell - thanks to the script in part, but mostly how Freeman so skillfully conveys Somerset’s near-instantaneous warmth and kindness towards her on the phone. And once we do meet Tracy, Paltrow is so welcoming and warm we can’t help but respond in kind. She also performs some heavy lifting for the audience almost as soon as she opens the door, introducing Mills to Somerset with his first name (which I’ve forgotten - it’s been a long time) which, again, helps us see him as a human being. On the other hand, Somerset, at first performing narrator duties, and viewed alone and just being himself, requires nothing more than Freeman to win us over. But those “slower” scenes broaden and deepen him for us, as well as providing us with far more than mere explanatory plot mechanics. Fincher could have informed us of Tracy’s pregnancy in dozens of ways, but the dialog between her and Somerset makes us care that much more for her, as well as deepening the friendship the two of them are beginning to form. So definitely not disagreeing with what you said, but I just wanted to suggest there may be additional benefits to the “slower” parts. Insightful, concise, well-edited and worthwhile review. Nice job. Subscribed.

One of my all time favorite movie.

This film flips everything we know and expect about film. Normally we meet the villian, then see their actions. The entire film is seeing his actions, and the climax is just us being introduced to a character

I still remember the shock when I first watched it. I will always tend to go to it, when I feel down, as it is bleak, desolate and beautiful.

The Pride scene with Disembodied photo of Pride vic's head with the floating illusion while calling for help and medicated. 'Doe' takes pic and escapes down stairs. At the end, doe takes bullet and escapes to hell

The end credits of this film are an absolute masterpiece. In a way if you want to "feel" this film, but do not have enough time to watch the whole of it, i recommend just turning on the end credits. They are not the boring words flowing on a screen with an occasional picture, they are a work on their own.

Im watchin now in full mirror realm mode. His kicking of Doe's door mirrored him shooting doe. The woman he paid to bear false witness, was after the door kick and mirrored Tracy's fake happiness and her depression thru medicating and being isolared. Like the homeless woman?

I love this movie. You should do Kiss the Girls with Ashley Judd & Morgan Freeman.

Nice video dude

Always been one of my favorite thrillers. It is unlike most movies since there is no happy ending.

The best movie in my mind ever made! MASTERPIECE!

It’s crazy that Brad Pitts character Mills was wrote for Denzel Washington.

I know every state is different, but I sat on a jury for a murder trial and there is no way Mills would be charged with murder. First, murder has such a high bar...at most he gets charged with manslaughter. The circumstances leading up to the killing and the shock of realizing this man killed your pregnant wife would easily justify temporary insanity. I highly doubt a prosecutor would charge a detective under these circumstances in the 1990s. That being said, if this happened today...he likely would be charged with murder. I doubt a jury would convict though...unless the prosecution stacked the jury.

Masterpiece indeed!

He’s not able to make out John Doe’s face. He had just gotten pistol-whipped. He was disorientated. The camera IS his view.

Did you notice some or the props related to the number 7?

Kevin Spacey, what a wonderful actor! 👏👏👏👏👏

Is anyone open-minded to consider the abstract and artsy possibility that this character of John Doe was MANIFESTED by Somerset prior to his departure? A final guantlet in which he loses a 2nd round with 'Father-Figure' upon failing to protect hansel and gretel?

I always found this movie so suffocating and now that I realize that there are not a lot of outside, day shots, it all makes sense.

I’ll have to watch this movie again because I surely didn’t appreciate it the first time. Shallow as it is, I kept thinking “why don’t they buy Brad Pitt some shirts that fit and why don’t they turn the lights on?”

I swear this is one of the greatest movies ever made - one thing people often miss about it because its so dark, is that it is actually, in many scenes dark comedy, albeit often with a sort bitter sarcastic twist. Many scenes - like Mills taking over Somersets office, is pure comedy but played so straight it becomes really subtle, falling asleep on the couch waiting for answers, meeting in “the soothing, vibrating home” etc Of course this is part of the classic badly matched partners dynamic - but it’s also more than that. The scene that has one victim talking about how he was forced to participate in the killing of a prostitute by horrific means, is at the same time absolutely horrifying and at the same time so pathetically over the top that it aaaalmost borders on the ridiculous. I feel like we are invited to share John Does, scorn and sarcasm and contempt for the world. He vomits on a man on the train and can’t stop laughing. So many scenes that are somewhat charming or has a little human warmth or a bit of a laugh in them will later be mirrored in the most twisted perspective imaginable, which makes it just vulnerable. Any levity offered, however subtly, will later stick in your throat. But many scenes are comedic and others scenes are ones that John Doe would find pathetically, comically disgusting.

Thats a NIN remix in that intro too. 😊

I saw this movie once. It was so disturbing I vowed to never see it again. It shook me to my core. The only other movie to ever do that is another film called the crossing guard for entirely different personal reasons.

Payback is such a great flick as well.

Great movie and great review!

Just put a snaggle tooth on my counterpoint 4" Not gonna lie I'm extremely aggressive and confident but if someone busts out two 6" cold steel folders on me im running the other way

Proper police procedure? Anyone who has spent a minute at a gun range knows you do not put your finger on the trigger until you intend to fire. Somerset had not decided to fire, of course his finger was not on the trigger right away.

I’m surprised you don’t have more subs

I watch Se7en every day on my subway ride home. Every Day.

To me is that John Doe completed his "Seven"...with Pitt commenting the last of the 7 sins...revenge...

Somerset reminds me of Silence of the Lambs character, 'Barney'.

HANDS DOWN the best film ever (for me)

“Somebody call Somebody” Jonny Mc rocks

Mills shooting John completes this killers vision. It ends as he knew it would. Which in itself makes John the hero in a messed up sense

Mills would serve no more than 5 years if they even pursued a conviction, extreme psychological duress as a mitigating factor, John Doe’s murders would be used heavily by the defense, likely you’d see an acquittal at a jury trial.

for the longest time, I thought freeman's character in this was his Alex Cross character from along came a spider???

I always had a theory that seven takes takes place in Gotham city

People are saying here that John Doe was the seven murder, but I thought the seventh murder was the unborn baby. John Doe killed two at the same time. So if John Doe was killed, wouldn’t that be an eighth murder?

Hey do one on Bulworth

That van approach at the end is the most tense scene ever committed to film.

Why didn't Dt. Somerset make any attempt to disarm Dt. Mills before he shot fatally shot John Doe? He could have!

10:19 - I agree that Mills' life is ruined, but I'm not so sure if he'd be tried and convicted. The police department is said to be corrupt, and the Captain says they'll take care of him. I'm sure they'd be able to write up the shooting as justified.

How can you say they never name the city when in the scene you just showed it was “New York Pizza”. Remember Mills and Tracey live near the metro too. It’s pretty obvious it’s NYC.

Kevin Spacey got to play himself in this one

Like the vid but two phrases I can’t get behind - Film Noir and Newborn Child. Can’t have a newborn child that was killed in the womb and the “tropes” of Film Noir don’t exist though you try to frame Gwyneth’s character as an anti-femme fatale. Nitpicky but enjoyable. And, yes, a great flick.

David fincher is just a genius!!

Great analysis overall, but at the end you say "newborn child, " whereas it should have been "unborn child," as Tracy never gave birth.

My primary problem with Seven is that all the victims aren't the same, aren't all guilty of the sins they are "accused of" by John Doe. The first victim, once the fridge is moved, is gluttony. He is extremely overweight. So, his death is the direct result of a sin, his sin. However, the guy handcuffed to the bed, our "sloth" victim, the only thing we are shown is him being imprisoned against his will. His sin seems forced upon him. The audience is given no information to suggest that this victim was actually guilty of sloth. He is only slothful because he was made that way by Doe. My other problem is that Doe would need to be nearly omniscient to pull this off, and even then, he would have to get astronomically-lucky to have everything fall into place. Additionally, I have worked with very serious criminals in the mental health field for nearly half-a-century (now retired). The myth of the genius serial killer is a popular one. However, as a human loses their grasp on reality, their grasp on their own humanity, as they descend into violent criminality, this all changes them. As a result, even the untrained can sense that something is....off/wrong. The more you are a wolf, the harder it is to fool the sheep. This is because killers have always been among us, and at various times, were even vital to the survival of the tribe. So, we evolved such that many (not all) of us recognize when we are in the presence of someone truly dangerous, unpredictable and explosively violent. Finally, it can be helpful to see such people as broken, because they are. They tend to have profound problems navigating law-abiding society, maintaining a job, maintaining relationships. To be clear, not saying that these are sick people who shouldn't go to prison, because they should answer for their crimes, pay their debts, undergo punishment. .

I realise how important it was for the plot, but one thing about the ending that annoys the hell out of me is how Sommerset just sits there like a bum talking. He could have stood between Mills and John Doe, tried to get him to put the gun down. But no. He just watches the entire thing. And I dont know if he does it because he is just numb, tired of everything, and doesnt give a shit anymore, or if he just wants to be an observer. He could have defeated John Doe by not allowing him to die. Or better yet, he could have intentionally shot John Doe..

John Doe simply would not have shot when he saw them standing at his apartment door. It’s inconsistent character. We have a killer who’s calm, patient and manipulative. He could have easily talked his way out of it. A character like Doe wouldn’t have panicked. Neither do they ever question why Doe chose not to kill David. This was poor. He had the gun to his head, he was trying to shoot him before that, then, all of a sudden, he chooses not to and they never question his motives for deciding that.

They tried to make the last Batman movie like seven

Love this movie!!

You called John Doe satanic but that was he wrong word to use.

The city is NYC…some things don’t have to be said

What’s in the box???!!!!

Thanks. Now I know why I've never watched it.

Nope. Won’t even see a lawyer.

Relation

*isolated. Im high

Good movie

It’s a great movie. But it’s soooo bleak. A lot of people think that’s what makes it great. But, linke Chinatown before it, it doesn’t take any effort to hold a mirror. It take heart to change what you see

I never cared for the finale, it felt forced and didn’t match the other sins. Just my opinion.

Unborn. Not new born. She begged for her unborn child’s life my dude.

You had me at “one of the best films ever made.” So I was done. You show yourself right there to be someone who hasn’t seen nearly enough films to be educated in film. It’s not even in the Top 100 of American films since 1980. It’s not in the Top 50 of Hollywood crime thrillers since 1960. This just tells me you know very little about movies. Absurd hyperbole will maybe get you far if you’re a publicist or studio marketing exec. I know; I was in the business for 20 years. To anyone who knows cinema, it just sounds like you’re out of your depths.

Spacey just doesn’t do it for me… I’m in the minority here but it just felt too forced of a performance.

Arraigned yes, tried perhaps, convicted in the 90’s ? Never.

Gritty, dirty, depessing.new york then, and now. you are extremely rich, and live about the filth or your poor and live " down in it"

New born child?

You care about this movie as much as I care about my crack pipe it's just a movie just like it's just a crack pipe 🤔