Se7en (1995)

User Rating:

8.6/10   

Director:

David Fincher

Writer (WGA):

Andrew Kevin Walker (written by)

Release Date:

22 September 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Long is the way, and hard, that out of hell leads up to light.

Plot:

Police drama about two cops, one new and one about to retire, after a serial killer using the seven deadly sins as his MO.

Plot Keywords:

Detective | Seven Deadly Sins | Serial Killer | Police | Gluttony

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 19 wins & 17 nominations

Cast

Brad Pitt	...	Detective David Mills
Morgan Freeman	...	Detective Lt. William Somerset
Gwyneth Paltrow	...	Tracy Mills
R. Lee Ermey	...	Police Captain
Andrew Kevin Walker	...	Dead Man (as Andy Walker)
Daniel Zacapa	...	Detective Taylor
John Cassini	...	Officer Davis
Bob Mack	...	Gluttony Victim
Peter Crombie	...	Dr. O'Neill
Reg E. Cathey	...	Coroner (as Reginald E. Cathey)
George Christy	...	Workman
Endre Hules	...	Cab Driver
Hawthorne James	...	George, Library Night Guard
William Davidson	...	Library Guard (as Roscoe Davidson)
Bob Collins	...	Library Guard

Also Known As:

Seven (UK) (video title) (USA) (alternative spelling) (USA) (video title) (USA) (DVD title)
The Seven Deadly Sins (USA) (working title)
Pecados capitales (Argentina) (Uruguay) [es]
Sieben (Austria) (Germany) [de]
Семь (Russia) [ru]
7 Pecados Mortais (Portugal) [pt]
Hetedik (Hungary) [hu]
Los siete pecados capitales (Dominican Republic) [es]
Sedam (Croatia) [hr]
Sedam (Serbia) [sr]
Sedem (Slovenia) [sl]
Sedem (Slovakia) [sk]
Sedm (Czech Republic) [cs]
Seitse (Estonia) [et]
Seitsemän (Finland) [fi]
Sep7 (Canada: French title) (alternative spelling) [fr]
Sept (Canada: French title) [fr]
Sete Pecados Mortais (Portugal) [pt]
Seven (Spain) [es]
Seven (France) [fr]
Seven - Os Sete Crimes Capitais (Brazil) [pt]
Seven - Os Sete Pecados Capitais (Brazil) [pt]
Siedem (Poland) [pl]
Yedi (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]

MPAA:

Rated R for grisly afterviews of horrific and bizarre killings, and for strong language.

Runtime:

127 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Portuguese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Israel:16 (re-rating) | USA:R (certificate #33601) | Philippines:R-18 | Brazil:14 | Finland:K-15 | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Argentina:16 | Australia:R | Belgium:KNT | Chile:18 | Denmark:16 | France:-12 | Germany:16 (nf) | Hong Kong:IIB | Iceland:16 | Ireland:18 | Israel:18 (original rating) | Italy:VM14 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:18 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:M18 | Singapore:PG (cut) | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18

Filming Locations:

Alexandria Hotel - 501 S. Spring Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

Andrew 'Kevin Walker' had enormous difficulty getting a studio to buy the rights to his script because he was a complete unknown in Hollywood. Allegedly he put together a list of agents that represented writers that work in the crime and thriller genres, and just called each one up until he got a positive response.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: There are at least 3 copies of Dante's Divine Comedy which Somerset places on the table. The red-bound copy which is the focus of an earlier shot is seen underneath a copy of Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. Beneath the red one is a larger printing of the book with a dust-jacket, and at the top of the other pile is a smaller, blue-covered version of the book.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Detective Taylor: Neighbors heard them screaming at each other, like for two hours, and it was nothing new. Then they heard the gun go off, both barrels. Crime of passion.
William Somerset: Yeah, just look at all the passion on that wall.

Movie Connections:

References Cape Fear (1991)

Soundtrack:

Closer

Superbly crafted drama delves into darkest corners of the psyche

David Fincher's bleak, relentless, and ultimately terrifying crime thriller Seven transcends other films of the genre with incredible plotting (the sort Hitchcock might employ were he alive and making films in the 1990s) and scalding intelligence. With only a small handful of minor flaws -- the overly familiar retiring cop/young cop pairing; the awful "I'm taking you off the case!" cliche seemingly required by the genre; one giant lapse in logic in the downward spiral toward the conclusion that cannot be revealed without ruining the script's gruesome surprise -- Seven typically keeps its viewers imprisoned in their seats with a combination of morbid fascination and abject fear. Despite attempts by studio executives to alter Andrew Kevin Walker's ending, the filmmaking team prevailed and audiences experienced that rare treat of mainstream cinema: an uncompromising vision.